Kunoichi Blossom
by Crystal Spinning
Summary: AU. An average kunoichi blossoms into legend.
1. Chapter 1

Uzumaki Naruto nearly brought down the door with his fist as he banged. "No _fair_, it's not fair, you _never_ let me take the first turn!" he shouted angrily, a bright orange beacon in the dark hallway.

"If you wake up before me you can take the first turn," laughed his surrogate sister over the draining bath water. "I'm going on a mission today so I want to get as clean as possible before I go. I still have ink all over my hands."

"Will you be home in time for my graduation from the Academy?" Naruto asked anxiously, pressing his ear against the door, trying to disguise the worry in his high-pitched voice with carelessness.

"Of course! I wouldn't miss it for anything!" After a few clangs and the burbling of the bath emptying, Uzumaki Tenten stepped out of the bath, forehead protector tied tightly and the left side of her wet hair already tied up in one half of her usual hairstyle. "It's only a class D mission; we're just delivering a message scroll to a blacksmith in one of the nearby towns." Tightening the towel around her armpit, she tied up the other side of her hair with quick, practiced skill.

"I guess this means you won't have time to make breakfast…" Naruto sighed, looking crushed. "When will you be back?"

"Tomorrow morning at the absolute latest." Tenten promised the almost-shinobi. Team Gai was the quickest squad excluding ANBU. "I can't wait to find out who is on your team. Hey, maybe you'll be with the Hyuuga girl!" she teased. "We'd each have a Byakugan on our team."

"Tenten … Do really you think I'll pass this time?" Naruto asked, wanting to hear her support.

"Of course you will!" Tenten shouted in a remarkable impression of her sensei's boisterousness, giving him a cheerful thumbs-up, trying to emulate his 'Nice Guy!' pose.

At her confirmation, Naruto's eyes lit up. "That's right, believe it! Dattebayo!"

Packing up, after extracting a promise that Naruto would remember to go through the refrigerator and throw out anything old, Tenten packed up and got ready to meet her team at the main gates of Konohagakure. The sky was a bright azure, and she felt cheerful and filled with optimism as she passed the opening shops and waving citizens.

A raincloud hovered over the sunshine of her day, though. She was late, she realized gloomily, as Gai began shouting at her before she could even see him. Distantly, she heard the accusation 'squandering youth!' and sighed.

Lee had recently cut his hair like Gai's and along with his matching green jump suit, was a mini-Gai. It was humiliating to be seen with them, but it could be funny at times. Like when Neji had been offered a matching jumpsuit. Spying him, she felt her shoulders sag with quick relief. At least she had Neji – the only sane member on the team- to rely on when the other two went on a tangent.

She hoped Naruto wouldn't do anything foolish while she was gone – he had a habit to executing his worst pranks when she was away. Iruka-sensei had often dragged Naruto home by the ear, scolding both of them.

"Sensei! Can we go faster?" Lee questioned eagerly, eyes bright, to Tenten's dismay. "We can get there in only half the time!"

He really was taking after their sensei.

Shortening the time did appeal to her, but knowing these two, they'd probably end up in a group exercise or something.

"Sure thing, Lee!" Gai flashed a smile and a thumbs-up at Lee, who was quickly becoming his protégé and decided: "We can all train together!"

"Oh, Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

Unlike her cousin, more of an adopted brother than anything, Tenten's best skill was her teamwork. She could work well with Neji or with Lee, and that made her an invaluable team member. Genin teams were often comprised to support one another, for balance. Lee, who had barely passed, was balanced by the prodigy, and she, although lacking in strength and stamina, she was easily smarter and faster than the other two. Despite half of Team Gai being insane, they were well-balanced.

And ever since she'd discovered her penchant for fuinjutsu, she'd become an asset – backup, which riled her, but essential to the inner functioning of the team.

"Neji, my eternal rival, would you mind sparring with me after this mission?" Lee requested politely. Tenten grinned. The sight of lanky Lee in his green jumpsuit, newfound muscles undulating beneath the – quite unfortunately – skintight fabric, and his shouting was one of the best parts of having him on the team. He reminded her more than a little of Naruto.

She could sense the annoyance rolling off of Neji as he glanced back, pale, seemingly sightless eyes targeted at him with annoyance. "Certainly, Lee, if there is time." Neji was like an ANBU member – silent, only offering necessary information, and deadly. Well – deadly for a genin.

Stifling her amusement, she compared it to Gai-sensei and Kakashi. The jounin who Gai seemed so competitive towards hardly acknowledged him… exactly like Lee and Neji.

Frowning, she wondered about Naruto's team. Would he get someone like Nara Shikamaru? Perhaps… it was too hard to tell, and she only knew a handful of the Academy kids this year. There were a few that Naruto had spoken about, and some of the clans had students – but who would pass?

Team Gai sped up, delivered the scroll without a hitch, and left – but not before Tenten managed to pick up a kunai that had caught her eye. Maybe if Naruto passed his exam, she could give this to him as a congratulations present. If not, she'd simply give it to him as a surprise. The sleek design caught her eye, and she wanted it for herself, but she was beginning quite a collection.

Tenten carved her own poles, collected senbons, molded her own spears, and bargained for hours with shopkeepers until she got the best possible prices. Thinking about finishing more scrolls back home, she was occupied and hardly noticed the distance it was going to take to return back to the village. Mostly tuning out the chatter between Lee and Gai, she kept pace with Neji, falling into his silence.

It was nice, how silence almost seemed to emanate from him, absorbing all sound, keeping away any migraine she'd get from the two Green Beasts of Konoha. Living with Naruto didn't make it any easier either. Neji was a breath of fresh air – a tree that breathed in chaos and exhaled peace. Of course, she knew as well as the rest of the team that within his head, there was as little peace as could be found on the team, but his merciless self-control and calm set off a convincing illusion.

The forest slowly became more familiar, but as night fell, Tenten realized that unless Gai decided to triple their pace, they'd have to stop for camp. It was nearly midnight now.

After a few more minutes, Gai conceded, as if she'd spoken and he'd heard.

"We don't want to cripple the blossoms of your youth!" he announced. "We'll stop here for the night. I didn't realize it would take so long."

"If only we had tripled the pace instead of merely doubling it!" Lee sighed. "I did not bring a sleeping pack! To forgive myself for this folly, I shall do five—"

"You can use mine, Lee. If this were a real mission, one of us would have to stand guard. I'll do it." she smiled at Lee, and Gai wept with joy at her kindness and her practicality. The smile quickly became forced.

"Wake me next," Neji told her curtly. "Give me two hours or so to rest."

He unrolled his bag next to where she sat, and the warm weather meant they had no need for a fire. Lee immediately fell asleep in her blanket, as enthusiastically as he had been running hardly two minutes before. Gai was the same as Lee – but slept on the ground rather than in a bag. If Lee had noticed, he likely would've done the same.

Toying with the new kunai, she waited for her lookout to be over. Tenten often had trouble sleeping, so taking the first watch was no problem. After a while, though, she noticed Neji watching her.

"What?" she asked, self-conscious, his gaze seeming to pierce her. She may have a talent for weapons, but his eyes were much more fatal than her arm.

"You should've woken me an hour ago," he chided. "It's nearly three AM and you've gotten no rest yet."

"Nah…" She put away the kunai and curled up, hanging an arm off her knee. "You can go back to sleep. I don't think I'll get to bed tonight."

Sitting up, he eyed her, his wide, blank eyes focused on her. When they had first become a team, she'd hardly been able to tell where his gaze concentrated – his eyes had been almost frightening in their wide, blank intensity. Now, because of his power, they seemed almost comforting, it an austere, Neji-like manner.

"Tenten, go to sleep." He was stern. It wasn't concern – Neji didn't have time for things like emotions. He was utterly pragmatic, to the point where he could even be fussy.

"No, I mean, I can't. I won't fall asleep. So I might as well let you guys all sleep. Besides, Lee's under my blanket – and I'm not sharing." She smiled at him, hardly able to see in the darkness. The overhanging boughs made even the moonlight elusive. Insects cooed.

He did not return her smile. "Get beneath my blanket and at least try to rest. If you cannot sleep, you can take over at four. Likely Gai will have us running before the sun anyway."

She realized he was being kind, and appreciated his gesture. Hyuuga Neji was not a gentleman, so his actions were almost poignant. Gallant, even. Although the idea of ever telling him so would probably embarrass him. So she let her eyes twinkle. "How chivalrous."

"Hn." He grunted at her. She curled down the warmth he had left on the blanket and her mind continued to wander while he meditated in silence.

After what seemed like five minutes to Tenten, Neji grunted. "Are you sleeping yet?"

"What? It's been hardly a minute."

"It's been two hours."

He was right, she realized. The darkness seemed just the slightest bit less oppressive, and she could almost make out his features. Time passed differently in the quiet darkness. She was used to the steadiness of Naruto's snore, unhindered by thin walls and doors.

"Do you want to go back to sleep?"

"Not particularly." He answered, not looking at her.

Sitting up, she watched the steady fall of Gai and Lee's chests – perfectly synchronized even in sleep. She giggled. "Today, my cousin is taking the Academy graduation exam," she confided.

"Naruto?" he asked, noncommittal.

She nodded. "He's already tried twice… I hope he gets it." She felt comfortable enough around the Hyuuga to confess this to him. She was worried about him. Naruto was determined, but so far, his skills as a shinobi weren't shining through yet. What he put his mind to, he got done, but if his interest wavered…

"If his skills are at all similar to yours, I am sure he will be fine." Neji's offhand compliment struck her with pleasure. She was no genius – and he knew it as well as she-, and she didn't devote hours of each day to nothing but training like Lee, but she knew was a decent genin by this point.

Hearing Neji of all people praise her was wonderful, and beyond flattering. She'd never have to worry if he was just being nice – because Neji was a lot of things, and nice wasn't even close to being one of them. She wasn't like Lee, either – stumbling upon her talent had been pure luck, rather than a gift of birth or dedication. Her desire to be like Tsunade had _nearly_ been fruitless – until she'd learned she had not only a talent for summoning, but any weapon was putty in her hands, falling in place with little effort.

She wasn't a genius. _His_ taijutsu was excellent with little practice, his ninjutsu pretty advanced partially due to his kekkei genkai, and even his genjutsu was pretty good for a genin. He was smart, strong, and fast. He was probably the best-rounded of the three, especially since Lee only had his taijutsu. She wasn't a slouch of a genin, but her skills weren't as diverse as Neji's, or as specific as Lee's.

"Thanks." She answered, suddenly feeling great. The two Green Beasts stirred. After hardly a beat, Gai shot up and stretched.

"Good morning! How did you two sleep! Who took watch? It wasn't too long of a watch. I remember once, Kakashi and I—"

"Tenten and I split it." Neji answered concisely.

Already distracted, Gai turned to the still-sleeping Lee. "Wake up!" he shook his favorite student rigorously. "Lee! It's only two hours until sunrise!"

Lee shot up, nearly smashing his forehead into Gai's. "Are we going to race the sun back to Konohagakure?" he demanded eagerly.

Tenten wanted to groan as Gai's eyes lit up. Despite not having slept, she _still_ wasn't a morning person. Neji seemed to silently share this sentiment. At least he wasn't outright brooding yet.

"I'm not feeling youthful enough for that," she tried to dissuade them, but Gai shook his finger at her.

"Tenten, your youth must see the sun to blossom!"

"The sun isn't even up yet," she groaned. Neji easily stood and prepared to keep pace behind the tag-team, and Tenten shot him a glare that clearly told him he was giving in too easily.

The four of them leapt silently through the trees, Gai and Lee behaving as though they'd been wide away for hours instead of minutes. It tired her out just watching.

They did indeed make it back to the town just before sunrise, Lee exclaiming in victory. Trying and failing to look stern and disciplined, Tenten hurried hope, wondering what Naruto had done in her absence.

Silently, she unlocked the door, half expecting to see a dozen instant ramen packages all over the floor, staining her piles of fortune-telling cards, Naruto sprawled between them. When the floor looked to be clean, she sighed in relief. Less for her to clean up later. Idly, she wondered if he had cleaned the refrigerator. Somehow she doubted it. For her, the day before had passed quickly. Naruto was as easily bored as he was entertained, so a day in his life was constantly unpredictable.

Despite the early morning sunrise beginning to crawl through the windows, Tenten went to bed, cuddling under her blankets, hoping to get a couple minutes of sleep. Maybe she'd meet up with Lee for some training, unless Gai found them another mission.

It felt as though they'd been chasing cats and rescuing the elderly crossing the road for months – it was no wonder the way Gai had them wait for the chuunin exam. If the only kind of mission they could get didn't even require any real jutsu, how did they expect to be ready?

With that on her mind, she slowly fell into a light sleep – limbs twitching, blinking at sudden movements, flinching at Naruto's loud, unceremonious waking and exiting the house, shouting about his exam.

By the time Naruto returned to the small apartment, Tenten was gone, with nothing but a note.

_Went to train with Lee. Tell me all about it when we're together. I have a present for you_.

She wasn't there to see Naruto's poorly-disguised tears.

x

That night, the door open quietly, and Tenten whirled around, eyeing Naruto furiously.

"Where the hell have you been?" she demanded furiously, advancing on the smaller Uzumaki. "I got back _hours_ ago and you weren't here. What the hell were you doing? You can't just not tell me where you're going or what—"

Her angry tirade was interrupted with a smug chuckle from the filthy blond. Naruto grinned up at her, the genuine joy and pride on his filthy face freezing her. "You're looking at an official shinobi of Konahagakure! That's right! Uzumaki Naruto, genin!"

Distracted, Tenten cupped her hand to her mouth as Naruto rubbed his neck, looking rather sheepish. "You?..." she breathed, pride blooming in her chest.

"So what about that present you promised me, huh? Is it a graduation present?" he grinned and bounced on the balls of his feet almost frantically, looking as if it were physically impossible to stop.

Laughing, Tenten licked her thumb and began to wipe his dirty cheeks. "No," she teased, holding him tight as he tried to squirm away. "It's a present because I love my otouto."

Somehow his grin got even bigger. "Alright then, can my graduation present be some ramen?"

"No. Stay here, I got this 'specially for you." She darted to grab her pack, her anger gone, in place of only pride for the kid that seemed so young and old at the same time. "Look!"

He grabbed for it, and she held it teasingly over his reach. Jumping in the air, he tried to snatch it, until finally, laughing too hard, she knelt, holding her stomach, and handed him the kunai.

It wasn't anything special – just a regular, if particularly sharp, weapon, with a special design, two prongs forking out from the center. But noticed the shine and knew it was his, the second she saw it. He knew her prowess – she knew weapons. If she considered it to be a present instead of a necessity, then Naruto knew the blade was fine, fine quality.

"Thanks." His tone was soft, trailing, his smile still in place.

Then louder, with bravado and cheer. "Thanks! This will help me on my journey to be the greatest ninja ever! Ha! Uzumaki Naruto! Believe it! The next Hokage, dattebayo!"

"Alright, alright, but tell me about it! How did the exam go?"

"Well… I failed." He giggled. "But it's okay! Iruka-sensei took me out for ramen after I cleaned up the monument so—"

"Cleaned the monument?" she asked, sighing, imagining the talk she'd have with Iruka-sensei next time he spotted her. "Why did Hokage Mountain need to be cleaned, Naruto-kun?"

"Well, as a joke, hey you should've seen it, Ten—"

"Naruto." She fixed him with a glare and he blushed, his face crimson in seconds.

"I, er, painted the Hokage Mountain, y'know, mustaches and stuff… heh."

She groaned. "Naruto… well, if you failed the exam, how on earth did you become genin?" she sighed at his hopelessness. It was hard enough trying to be respectable in the village as it was. For whatever reason, Naruto inspired fear and outright dislike in many of the denizens of Konohagakure. Tenten wasn't too sure why. Although annoying, Naruto was bright, funny, and could even be charming, so the grudges many adults held towards him, and even _her_, when their association was recognized, bothered her.

"Well, it's kinda complicated…"

"Naruto, please." She sighed into her hand. She wasn't totally ready to play grown-up, but Naruto needed an adult. When they were kids, they'd stayed with the Third pretty often, being babysat by neighbors. Once, a group of genin had watched them, and it had been a C rank mission. The implications rankled a little bit. Now that they were both old enough to fend for themselves, it was like they were invisible. Tenten at least had Team Gai, but Naruto really only had her, and a group of acquaintances at school. She knew he hung out with Chouji, the Nara boy, and Inuzuka Kiba, but they'd never been over.

She knew, better than anyone, how lonely her otouto was.

Beginning to act out the movements, he started dramatically, already yelling: "Well, so I failed the bunshin no jutsu, again, so Iruka-sensei said he had to fail me, but Mizuki-sensei said he had this trick, that if I took this scroll and learned the jutsu, they'd have to promote me! But everyone was looking for me!"

Tenten _had_ heard shouting, but since the area they lived in was filled with both shinobi and young children, hadn't paid particular attention – too worried about Naruto to notice.

"So I only got to learn one jutsu, and when Iruka-sensei came, he started yelling at me. I guessed he was impressed with me, heh." Naruto flashed a smug grin. "But then it turns out Mizuki-sensei had me _steal_ it! I wasn't allowed to read it. And then he tried to hurt Iruka-sensei, so I used my new jutsu! They talked a lot but I kind of ignored it. I was mostly sc—angry that he'd hurt my sensei. So I defeated him! I'm a real ninja!"

Tenten looked at Naruto and her heart broke, just a small bit, watching him. She knew him better than anyone, and felt deeply the cold and unfazed façade he wore. It wounded her, to see him like this. Whatever Mizuki had told him, it had obviously scared or hurt her brother. So she let him continue on.

"Anyhow, so after I used the jutsu, Iruka-sensei was so impressed that I could do it, he made me a genin! I get my team and my… Tenten?"

"Yes?" she asked softly, feeling a quick, debilitating barrage of emotions. Nobody knew how he felt better than she – and nobody could ever feel worse about it.

"Iruka-sensei said I couldn't wear a forehead protector until I became a shinobi… since I'm a genin now, can I wear your forehead protector? Please?"

Tenten often forgot to take off her hitai-ate until after she had been in bed. She touched it, and smiled. "Sure, Naruto, c'mere." Untying the tight knot, she placed the warm cloth around his forehead, spinning him around so she could tie it herself.

"No, let me." he took the ties and knotted it himself. "He he… look at me!"

Jumping around he ran to the mirror in the bathroom and shouted at his reflection. "I'm a real shinobi! I'm a ninja, I'm a ninja! Dattebayo! Genin first, Hokage later! Believe it, Tenten!"

"Oh, I do." she smiled at him, her heart feeling far too large for her chest. "I believe you."

x

The next few months passed easily, for Tenten at least. Slowly, her team began completing C rank missions, often with unparalleled success. Only once or twice did things go awry for them. Naruto had the opposite problem.

His team, to his outrage, was with Uchiha Sasuke, who, even Tenten could admit, rivaled Neji in inborn talent and ability. While Neji was their year's rookie to see, Uchiha was the one of Naruto's year. He had also seemingly developed a crush on a girl, Haruno Sakura, who, by her absence from the house, did not reciprocate.

Uneventfully, Team Gai prepared them for the chuunin exams. It seemed as though Naruto would wait another year – once, after coming home from a long mission, he'd been beaten bloody. Sighing, unsurprised, she wondered what trouble he'd gotten himself into as he complained about a D rank mission that should've been an A. Shinobi could handle themselves, but the thought of Naruto fighting for his life was painful. He had forced her long ago to swear she'd never interfere with his ninja business. Of course she complied, but with trepidation. He still seemed so young…

He did learn, he informed her, how to channel his chakra. Kakashi-sensei had taught him and his teammates to climb up trees.

"Did you learn to work together?" she asked wryly, comparing his relationship with the Uchiha to Neji and Lee.

"Eh, I guess." Naruto was quiet after that, and she watched him carefully for a few days – wondering what went through his head those rare times when he was silent for more than a few minutes.

So when Naruto announced he was preparing to take the chuunin exam, rather than feeling any pride for his achievements or celebrating his sensei's faith, she felt nothing but a jolt of cold terror that hit her like one of Lee's kicks.

She was outside and running before Naruto even registered her leaving.

x

Bolting, Tenten latched on to the first helper she could find. "Gai-sensei."

She panted out his name with difficulty. Before he began a tirade, she held a hand out, silencing him. "I need to find Kakashi. Where is he?"

Gai, noticing the seriousness, kept his shouting to a minimum. "My eternal rival, eh? Kakashi should be at the memorial site—"

She was there in minutes. The atmosphere surrounding the silent memorial kept her anger from burbling over. Naruto, take place in the exams? He barely knew any jutsu! Why hadn't he told her earlier?

Quietly, easily standing there was Hatake Kakashi. Even seeing him burned her up. What the hell was he thinking?

"Tenten," he answered slowly, not looking at her. The one revealed eye was focused, not on the memorial, but on someone from long ago. The solemnity of his tone nearly quieted her, but she refused to be cowed. Not in this case. This wasn't some stupid game.

"You probably know why I came to find you." The bitterness in Tenten's voice was completely unmasked.

"You think he isn't ready." Kakashi noticed, finally turning towards her.

He was handsome, in a way. His soft gray hair seemed cloudlike, and the narrow jawline beneath his mask added to his allure. Even the scar he rarely showed beneath his protector made him seem more attractive, rather than less. But that had nothing to do with anything, not now. Not ever, because she'd kill him if he went through with this.

"Think?" she demanded. "I know him better than anyone, sensei. It's not even a matter of being ready as –"

"Yes it is, Tenten. Since Gai had your team wait a year – and the Hyuuga boy was ready a long time ago – to prepare you fully, you believe I should do the same. Although, the only reason it takes your notice is because of Naruto. Listen – don't interrupt." He chided her, his voice gentle and serious. "Naruto is much more prepared than you believe him to be. I'm glad you haven't been able to train with him lately, because when you see his performance, it will surprise you. He may not be a particularly well-rounded ninja, such as yourself or Hyuuga, but compare him to your teammate, Lee."

She waited patiently for the part where he'd actually succeed in convincing her.

"Beyond anything, this experience, pass or fail, will be good for him. He's impetuous, as you well know, and pigheaded. This exam will teach him how to survive in a life or death situation. It will teach him to work with his team, to face things out, rather than pummel them, and to never underestimate his opponent. And if he passes… excellent. If not, he can always try again."

"Is this supposed to make me think he's prepared? What's the point of having the option to re-take if you die?" she asked scornfully. "Are you really so careless with the lives of your students? I've known for a while to prepare. You've just dropped this bomb!"

"Yes, and no." was all he answered. She fought the urge to roll her eyes. Being cryptic wouldn't scare her off. She was on a team with Hyuuga Neji, for Kami's sake.

"Yes, you're killing off Naruto, and no, you think there's a slight chance he'll live?" she scoffed.

"Why not speak to Naruto about this?"

"You know as well as I do that the second you suggested it, he latched on to the idea. He would do it if a shinobi war broke out this second."

"Then why not trust his judgment of what he's capable of. Unless, of course, you don't believe in him." Kakashi's voice was smooth with insinuation.

She sighed, knowing she was defeated in every sense of the word. If she fought on, he'd twist her words. If she asked Naruto not to compete, he'd only be angry at her interference. "Stop that. You should understand why I'm worried about him. Half of what he gets done is pure dumb luck, and the other half is relentless training."

"So what if he isn't naturally gifted? Look at his strengths. Dumb luck is less common than you think. A work ethic like his is as well. He's got stores of chakra that seem near-impossible, and the ability to rapidly recover from anything – exhaustion, chakra depletion, injuries. He's always planning ahead. He may not be a Nara, but he's not as foolhardy as he seems."

When he put it that way, it did seem as though she was being overprotective. "Do you really think that it would be good for him to do it now, instead of waiting?"

The rapidly graying sky fit her mood, she decided. She felt like a rain cloud – gloomy at her loss. What, though, had she truly expected? Like she'd win an argument against Hatake Kakashi. Her anger had gotten the better of her – sometimes she was more like Naruto than she felt willing to admit. Although spending time with the likes of Neji had taught her more control than she'd learned in her first decade of life before she'd been paired with him, she still often took action when none was necessary. Her nosiness and thoughtlessness would get her into trouble sometime.

On a C rank mission, Tenten had attacked a civilian on accident. She thought Neji would never let her live it down, while Gai had forgotten it moments after it occurred. She couldn't even recall a time when Neji had made such an embarrassing mistake. Lee made them daily, but was ever-determined to learn and grow from each experience.

A genius of hard work never let anything keep him down for long, he'd once told her, cheerfully punishing himself. After the time Gai had carried her around the village as a punishment, Lee often tried to do the same to her. Occasionally, she'd let him. But the first time he'd asked Neji, even she had felt like withering away from those eyes.

"I understand your fears, Tenten, but…There is quite a bit you don't know. Perhaps after the exams…" Kakashi hesitated, scratching his chin, searching for words. "Never mind. As you grow older, I think you'll learn things you never expected. The world is much bigger than you'd think."

"I guess you're right." She sighed and walked away before she got bogged down in thought. Maybe she'd train today, perfect her newest fuinjutsu.

It really was a style that suited her, even if it wasn't as neat as Neji's style, or as quick as Lee's, but it was unique, which made her proud. Her genjutsu still wasn't a strong point in her repertoire, but she'd gotten better in the past few months, thanks to the special 'youthful' training regime Gai had put them on in preparation for the exam.

"You're protective, and that is admirable," Kakashi called out as her footsteps got farther away. "But remember, you can't hold him back. He's a shinobi now."

_Sure, a real warrior ninja_, Tenten thought to herself, gloomily, trying and failing to avoid moping. _That stupid 'sexy no jutsu' will definitely defeat all his opponents. _

All the same, the niggling doubt in her mind was multiplied tenfold by Kakashi's words… _There is much you don't know_… what didn't she know? It bothered her for the rest of the day, her worry making sleep even more elusive than usual.

Despite that, she gained faith in Kakashi's judgment when Naruto's team showed up at the exam room the next day.

"Please, let us through." Tenten pushed through the crowd, trying to be polite. She wasn't paying any particular attention to the crowd huddled around the door 301. While Lee sat on the floor, slightly bewildered from the blow he'd received while trying to enter, she stepped forward, trying to reach past the two genin standing in front of the door. Lee had been so quick, she'd hardly seen what just happened. Watching him wipe his mouth, she moved forwards, until a resounding slap echoed, knocking her to her knees.

_Damn_, she hissed to herself, more embarrassed than in pain. She hadn't been paying attention at all. Neji knelt next to her and smirked at the two shinobi standing before them. The plan was to lay low – which meant her pride would suffer, since she couldn't rip out a scroll and knock them to next week. But something rang funny about the situation. What was she missing? There seemed to be something in the air that made her forget.

But what she did know was that the two before her were not genin. Not only was their aggression obvious, their disguises weren't particularly clever. Izumo and Kotetsu were known troublemakers. The two chuunin were never seen separately.

While one of them gave a lecture on their youth, and because of it, subsequent, inevitably failure – quite the opposite of Gai's gushing – and how chuunin were supposed to be highly skilled, Tenten watched them warily. What was going on here? Why were they here? Was this a test?

"I agree, but I'll be passing through." An arrogant voice broke through the crowd. She squinted through the thinning crowd. Was that Naruto's team? His height made him hard to see, but she thought she saw the bright orange of the track suit he always wore.

_Genjutsu_, she realized, as the voice continued. "Also, you can remove the genjutsu. I'm going to the third floor."

The realization floored her the second before Naruto's teammate uttered it. How had she missed it? Lee's oblivion was understandable, but for she and Neji both to have been trapped in a simple genjutsu? Ridiculous. They hadn't been paying enough attention – they were too relaxed.

"Sakura, you noticed first, didn't you?" the voice continued, getting closer.

"This is the second floor." A feminine, high-pitched voice finished smugly. Tenten groaned. Was that Naruto's crush? She hoped not. A voice like that would begin to grate on her nerves in no time at all.

Uchiha leapt past her, and the genin shot towards him, but before a fight could begin, Lee was in between the two of them, stopping it. She breathed a sigh of relief. Now was not the time for shinobi dramatics. But Lee getting into the mix didn't help with their supposed anonymity.

Neji agreed. "What happened to the plan?" he asked drolly, his eyes pointedly fixing at Lee. "You're the one who believed we shouldn't draw attention to ourselves."

But when Lee's eyes alighted on Naruto's teammate, she knew that plan was out the window. Groaning internally, Lee asked her out and swore eternal devotion, to her, Neji's and Naruto's dismay. As expected, he was rejected, and not at all deterred.

"Hey," Neji was distracted from Lee's antics for a second when he noticed the Uchiha – "What's your name?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Naruto seething at not being asked. But Neji knew his name, so it didn't matter. That morning, she had renewed her vow to stay out of Naruto's business during the entire exam, on penalty of buying him ramen for a month.

However, she was also distracted when she noticed Naruto's teammate was totally cute, too, and remarked it to Neji, who ignored her.

If Lee was Naruto, this kid was Neji – only even better. Any attraction she held to Neji flew out the window when she saw how cute the younger boy was. As team seven walked away, with Naruto studiously ignoring Tenten, Lee watched Sakura, looking dazed.

"Come on, what're you doing?" she complained as he followed her. Neji sighed, and the two of them let Lee do as he pleased.

"He's probably going to throw himself at Sakura." Tenten sighed, giggling at the idea. "Just like he does with everything else in life." She could throw herself at the Uchiha and not mind at all if he rejected her – there were other cute boys – but Lee's personality bordered on obsessive.

Stoically, he stared on, but she caught the lightest twitch of his mouth – which, for Neji, was the same as laughter. He was such a nice relief from Lee and Gai, and even Naruto, that she never really minded his silence or brooding. In fact, she hung around him as often as she could. She loved Lee like he was Naruto – but it definitely became overwhelming, fast.

They settled in the classroom, waiting for Lee to show up. What seemed like at least a hundred and fifty genin milled around the classroom, the headbands all naming their villages loudly and proudly. There were at least three different commotions that Tenten ignored studiedly, trying to imitate Neji's cool. She counted headbands instead – Cloud, Rain, Sand, Leaf, Grass, and more.

She wasn't nervous – yet. She wondered where Naruto was. Ignoring everything in the room meant any outbursts coming from the kid were shoved in the back of her mind. Freaking out about him would only cause her to lose focus. She blocked everything out as the proctor appeared and used what were obviously intimidation tactics to terrify them. Successfully, she thought bemusedly.

Morino-sensei explained the test, and she could only see him. Even his testing officers were in the back of her head. Forgetting everything but her team, she focused on a strategy the second the test was handed out.

As she scanned the first nine questions, it hit her. It was beyond obvious. Not even a graduated chuunin could answer these with perfect accuracy – well, a handful could. She could answer most of these. Perhaps Neji could answer some too, but Lee would be hopeless. Perhaps the Nara clan's kid could manage it. She doubted Naruto – but she could only focus on her team right now. _Forget the rookies and the others,_ she told herself. _Think about your team_.

Completing the questions, she wondered if Neji needed help. Likely his Byakugan was all he needed. So that left Lee – the pattering of pencils and panicking students were nothing to her. Her desk-mates were sweating beside her, their eyes darting around, their fingers twitching and arms shaking.

One team was sent away.

Then another.

Those caught cheating five times were expelled from the exam. Tenten did feel some relief as the group got smaller and smaller.

Finishing the exam, double-checking her answers, with what was likely to be relatively high marks, considering her aptitude for ninja theory, she set up her jutsu.

A mirror appeared on the ceiling, small and subtle, but obviously easily for the ninja to catch – but she knew that this would work. It wasn't about being invisible – it was the exchange of information that was important. Some of the jutsus were even more obvious than her own – a mind-transfer jutsu was obvious when three ninja fell over within five minutes – one genin held a giant eye in his hand.

With her chakra tied against her pencil, she moved it, praying for Lee. Move your headband, make any gesture, she prayed to him. As if he read her mind, Lee tightened his forehead protector and began copying the answers she sent him.

The room was nearly vibrating with chakra. She could sense Neji's Byakugan – so he figured it out. She wondered if Lee was cheating to cheat, or if he understood the point of the test.

Another team was expelled.

Thirteen teams in total.

Lee finished, adjusting his hitai-ate once more. Her jutsu dissipated with a quick gesture.

"Now." Morino-sensei's deep voice rung through the otherwise silent testing room. "Time for the tenth question." All pattering pencils stilled – rather than chakra, tension filled the room now.

Tenten straightened eagerly, and the room stood to attention. Her neighbor's spine wouldn't have been stiffer if it had been steel – she'd seen him perform some sort of jutsu. On the other side of her was an empty chair.

"You must choose whether or not you want to take it."

An uproar burst through the already-stressed genin.

Holding up a gloved hand, he continued. "Because if you do indeed choose to take the final question, and you do not answer correctly, you fail. You may never again take the chuunin selection exam."

There was an even louder uproar. But it quietly quieted down, and a genin from another village raised a hand. At least ten more followed suit, and Tenten watched them leave. She noticed, proudly, that no Leaf Shinobi of her acquaintance left. Naruto was doing well, then, she thought with pleasure. Even he wasn't stupid enough to go on in these kinds of stakes. Which meant he knew what he was doing. She had utter faith in Neji and Lee and Naruto.

Silence fell, a heavy beat of quiet. A pin could've dropped. Another hand raised. Turning slightly, she saw –

Naruto.

Before she could even realize what was happening she began to stand, hoping – she didn't know what she was feeling. She knew he could do this. All of his boisterous talks, his indomitable spirit and –

"Don't underestimate me!" he shouted at their instructor. She stopped in her half-risen position and sank back down, hoping he hadn't noticed. "I don't quit and I don't run!"

Love flew through her, and pride. That was her family. "I'll take it, even if I'm a genin forever! I will become Hokage! I don't care, and I'm not afraid!"

Amused, the instructor smirked at him. "Your life is riding on this decision. It's your last chance."

Naruto huffed. "I don't go back on my word." He returned Morino-sensei's all-knowing grin. "That's my ninja way!"

The aura of the room immediately relaxed. The shinobi who knew Naruto figured that if the number one knuckle-head ninja of Konohagakure could do it, so could they.

The large, scarred man smiled to himself as he surveyed the ninja left in the room. At least half of them were gone. Then he smiled – a real one. "To all of those who remain… congratulations on passing the first exam!"

x

Tenten was dumbstruck. She had at least assumed that while, the point of the test of information spreading, that the correctness of the answers mattered. He explained carefully that it was those who cheated poorly were the ones who failed.

Naruto kept up a constant stream of chatter, and she fought a smile. She focused on the proctor, trying to ignore his antics, while his teammates scolded him.

"At times, information is more important than life." The proctor continued, ignoring Naruto as amusedly as she. "On missions and in the battlefield, there are those who risk their lives to get their hands on it." He untied the scarf around his head, and Tenten blanched. A slight whisper rose up at the sight of his mangled skull, the flesh burnt away in places, melted in lumps, screw-holes close to his skull.

He continued to explain, and Tenten relaxed in her seat, feeling a headache coming on. There was a lot she hadn't grasped – and although the basics had been obvious to her, the point of the lesson had not. Even on this paper test, the concept of life over death hadn't occurred to her – perhaps Lee had, in his enthusiasm, or Neji, in his analytical skill.

"Hell yeah!" Naruto shouted from the back, knocking over his chair. Tenten smothered a laugh, peeking back at her cousin. Before she could even sense the presence, though, as distracted as she was, a figure crashed through the window with the force of a paper bomb.

"This is not a time for celebration!" the voice shouted through the smoke – female. "Mitarashi Anko… The proctor for your second test. Let's go!" a flag strung up behind her, and as the smoke cleared, she saw Morino-sensei reach around and say something with a dry expression.

She blushed slightly, until she noticed the number of genin staring at her impromptu arrival method. "Ibiki!" she gasped, looking disappointed. "You let twenty-six teams pass! How? You must be getting soft. I'm going to cut that _at least_ in half during my exam."

A few murmurs rose up at that proclamation, but they followed her to her examination area. Tenten saw the massive trees rise up twistedly from the ground.

As they stopped, the proctor smirked. "You'll find out soon enough why this is called the Forest of Death." Despite herself, Tenten felt a quaver. Lee shot her thumbs up.

"Huh. You don't scare me!" she heard Naruto's distinctive shout to her left.

There was a scuffle, and the whistling of a kunai. Tenten fought the urge to leap over, but Neji's cool gaze kept her locked in place. Scowling, she read the paper Anko handed out, signing with no qualms.

"We could die during this test." Lee sounded amazed by the prospect.

"It's only a precaution." Tenten soothed him.

Quickly recovering himself, Lee grinned happily. "You are right, Tenten!"

Anko explained the rules: no rules. Fight for the scrolls. Fight for your life. To pass, you needed at least one heaven and one earth. Five days to win, or you were automatically disqualified. If anyone on your team died, you were disqualified. All the morbidity of the test creeped her out, and Lee quickly squeezed her shoulder.

Slowly and privately, each team was given a scroll, and led to their gates. Worry began to ebb away, leaving only room for excitement.

Naruto could do this, she promised herself. And there wasn't even a doubt her team could make it through.

The gates swung open, the rusty slamming of metal against metal, and the three leapt into the thick foliage. It had begun.


	2. Chapter 2

Screams were already echoing in the distance fifteen minutes after they made it in. Hours later, screams still continued at semi-regular intervals. Sending Lee to collect food, they took a break, drinking from the canteen they had filled almost immediately. Settling down beneath the distended root of one of the trees, Tenten and Neji developed the plan.

"If we split up, and target the weaker teams, one of them is likely to have the – the scroll we need," she observed, hoping nobody was listening. "We can target any of the leaf rookies – leave Naruto's team _alone_– or we can set up a trap for the shinobi from other villages. The grass-nin and sand-nin were kind of creepy, let's stay away from that."

Lee returned with a small bounty of berries and leaves – rather disgusting, in her opinion, but it was all they had, and she'd much rather choke down chlorophyll than starve.

"You're right. The sun should be up soon. We've spent today gathering water and scouting the area– it's time to act. Right now, most teams must be resting. We can attack during this time, as we planned. Before we attack, we should spend at least half an hour scouting the radius for other teams. Whether or not you find a team, weak or not, return to this place in thirty minutes." Neji said, thinking carefully.

"Roger," Lee grinned joyously, and the three split up.

Tenten made a point of going opposite Neji and scouting wide. His Byakugan would capture anything on his side, and she needed to search around harder. Lee would likely end up training, rather than scouting – but with a Hyuuga on their team, it was immaterial. She kept a careful lookout for genjutsus and tricks, but after wasting most of her time watching out, she sighed and made it back to the rendezvous point.

She waited patiently in the quickly darkening forest for a few minutes before Neji returned. "Run into anyone?" she asked, noting his irritated expression.

"Team Asuma ran into me. Fools." He spat the word contemptuously. "Even Nara, for all his supposed brilliance, is nothing."

She chuckled at his disgust. "Can you sense Lee? You're late, and he'll probably end up being later. I would bet money on his getting distracted."

Neji frowned. "Even so, lateness is not like him."

A few more minutes passed, and her shoulders slumped. "He sure is late…" She began to worry. Where could he possibly have gotten off to?

"He's very accurate with time… perhaps he ran into enemy shinobi?"

"Let's just find him."

They sprinted off in the direction Lee had wandered off in, Tenten letting Neji lead the way, the veins around his eyes strained as his Byakugan searched for their teammate. But before she could even sense anything, she heard the sounds of a struggle. "Neji…"

"Yes, I know." He stopped and veered slightly to the left. "Here."

They hit a clearing, with Tenten's heart pounding. Team Asuma, Haruno Sakura, and a team of Ota-nin were fighting, with Lee _unconscious_, his body obviously exhausted and injured. _Lee, Lee, what have you done_ _now_? His battered form worried her. It took something special to beat up Lee – Neji could manage it, but when sparring with her, he was incredibly hard to stop and slow down.

"So, some minor Ota-nin are bullying the second-rate Leaf shinobi…" Neji drawled. Tenten's fury increased at their faces – malice, not remorse. This wasn't about scrolls, she deduced immediately. If it was, there wouldn't be so many Leaf shinobi involved. What was happening here? "You've just made a big mistake."

Only someone who knew Neji could sense his underlying wrath.

The Green beast of Konoha stirred, and Tenten fought the sentimental urge to leap down and rescue him. "Lee…"

"That idiot down there is a member of our team… and you will pay." His anger increased the veins of his Byakugan, and Tenten felt savage satisfaction at the fear on their faces. Even Team Asuma looked intimidated. "If you continue this charade, I will go all out."

"Come down here then!" one shouted, bandages muffling the depth of his voice

Tenten nudged him, and he nodded – of course he'd already seen. "It won't necessary." He scoffed.

Uchiha stood up, markings patterning his entire body, his chakra infused with a sort of raw strength, a terrifying, evil aura. "Who did this to you?" he asked Haruno. She didn't answer, looking about as speechless as Tenten felt.

If it had been Tenten, she would've reacted the same way. Startled, she watched the Uchiha nearly pummel one of the Ota-nin to death. She shuddered at the screams. The Uchiha was merciless, and Tenten had to look away – not from the blood, but from Uchiha's utter carelessness, his easy ability to maim.

It seemed to last forever. It was over within seconds.

Was that really Naruto's team? And where the hell was he?

The last time Tenten had truly been afraid was on a class B mission – one Gai had insisted they undertake as part of training before the examination. They'd been tasked to bring down a small-time rogue-shinobi. That wasn't intimidating in itself, and the man was technically only a genin, but it had taken all the teamwork between herself, Neji, and Lee to bring him down so Gai could apprehend him.

She had nearly died, and would've, if she hadn't been so quick in her reactions. She'd nearly frozen, and Gai had scolded her after they'd returned to Konohagakure. Lee was usually the one who was afraid during missions – but under Gai's tutelage, Lee had grown. The sight of the shuriken heading towards her in four different directions had stopped her thought process – although her ninjutsu wasn't as strong as her tai or fuinjutsu, she'd managed a quick substitution.

Tenten had never been more aware of her weaknesses than at that moment. She wasn't a genius – of hard work or otherwise. She was painfully average. What she did have going for her, was her distance and ability to strategize. More than anything she wanted to prove herself. These exams were the place to do it.

"Was that his true chakra?" Neji breathed, expression impassive. He'd sensed it far more than she had – his jutsu allowed for greater grasp of such things. But even she had felt it, and shivered.

"Ino, get Lee!" she heard Nara Shikamaru shout, and she leapt down to take her teammate from the Yamanaka.

Looking around, she didn't even see her otouto until he burst from beneath a tree trunk – dirty, but alive, and practically glowing with health and vitality. He looked as if he had just slept for a few hours, and she breathed a sigh. What had happened to him? Had he been knocked unconscious?

"I'll handle it from here," she told Ino quietly, and the girl handed Lee to her gently. "_Wake up,_ Lee! Snap out of it!" she shook him awake, the way Gai would've, and shouted his name again. His jumpsuit was filthy, but he didn't seem much more than injured and tired. It was a side effect of his jutsu.

"Tenten…?" he asked, dazed.

"We came to save you." She told him sternly, looking up at Neji. "We shouldn't have had to! What were you thinking, going out there all on your own, you big idiot? Why did you break the plan and act alone? You've been terrorized!"

"Sakura-chan needed help, and as a man, I—"

"Cut the macho crap, Lee." She rolled her eyes, wondering at the Ota-nin that had just left. She'd barely seen the kid's attack, and then the ninja were gone. Just what happened there? "You're an idiot."

"I guess I cannot argue…" he chuckled bravely, a sheepish smile budding over his lips. "But—"

"Hey, bushy-brows!" Naruto shouted, grinning his idiot grin, pointing at Lee as if he were a freak of nature.

At that, Tenten was ready to kill him, opening her mouth to shout at him, and maybe pummel him a little, but before she had let go of Lee's still-woozy form, Sakura leveled him with a punch that sent him flying.

"Don't talk about Lee like that!" Sakura shouted. A bud of pleasure opened up in Tenten's heart. Maybe it _would_ be okay if her otouto or Lee liked this girl. From her bruises, she probably wasn't much of a fighter, but even she'd heard news of Haruno's wits.

She frowned. The girl may be a paper ninja, but as Lee spouted some poetic bullshit, Tenten wondered if maybe there wasn't more to her than theory.

Above her head, Neji watched the Uchiha appreciatively, getting the measure of him.

"We should go," she looked up at Neji. He nodded. Picking up Lee, she dashed off, winking at Naruto before she left. Although everyone knew their situation, she didn't want to embarrass him. What kind of shinobi wanted his big sister butting in? Not even someone as sentimental and lonely as Naruto. He wanted to prove himself, and he couldn't do that if some older ninja from another team coddled him.

They made it back to the small huddle of leaves hidden behind Neji's genjutsu. "It's early… how about the two of you get some rest? After you guys sleep, we'll take on someone for their scroll." She offered.

"Tenten!" Lee protested. "You always take first watch."

"This isn't a watch, this is you recovering, and Neji resting. Don't worry about me." she promised. Lee's concerned eyes shut almost immediately and he began quietly snorting.

"You need rest too," Neji told her. "I can sleep."

"You know why I won't." Tenten answered tightly. "Come on, you don't even have to sleep. This is more to spare Lee's pride. I don't just want to say 'You're half dead, sit the hell down for a minute'."

"What a kind little medic-nin." Neji mocked.

Rolling her eyes, she grinned. "Are you really going to bring that up again?" she demanded playfully. "Besides, I don't have that kind of patience. Living with Naruto-kun sucked it right out of me."

"I understand."

"Is patience your true kekkei genkai?" she asked, surprising him. If she hadn't known him as well as she did, she would've thought his lips had quirked.

"I suppose wise comments would be yours." He said dryly, watching the steady rise-and-fall of Lee's chest.

The two sat in companionable silence for a minute, and Tenten nearly dozed off when Neji spoke: "What is it like, your relationship with Uzumaki Naruto?" he asked carefully, phrasing the question casually.

It was the first time he'd ever asked her a question that was personal. Once, he'd asked Lee if he was feeling okay after a particularly brutal training session, but he'd never even shown curiosity in their personal lives. Perhaps he thought that if he showed them curiosity, they'd react in kind.

"Well…" she swung her legs and sat down from the root, leaning against it. "He's more of a brother to me. We don't really have anyone else. I know he gets lonely sometimes, but I love having him around. He's annoying… he talks too much, he gets into way too much trouble, which gets me in trouble… he's a slob, he's lazy, and sometimes I think he stopped growing up after he turned ten… but I don't think I'd be me without him." Self-consciously, she grinned at the intent Hyuuga.

"He's related to the Fourth, somehow – everyone knows that, and for some reason, it scares people. When I'm with him, they're scared of me, too. He's recognizable – the suit, the loud mouth, the name, and I'm pretty nondescript." Tears came, biting at the edges of her eyes, but she blinked, and they were banished to her throat, and she swallowed. "I can't imagine what it's like – once, someone recognized me, a civilian, and she was afraid of me. I didn't know why. There are lots of war orphans, and I don't know what could possibly be so special about us. We're not particularly accomplished shinobi."

Neji nodded carefully.

"I don't expect this to turn into share-and-care time," she added, smiling. His shoulders relaxed slightly, and she fought a laugh, the urge to cry completely gone. "But we're pretty close. Which is why I didn't react to him down there. He'd kill me."

Leaning back, Tenten sighed, the stretching of her mouth somehow turning into a yawn. She sure hoped her little spiel had helped Neji – as far as she knew, emotions were as foreign to him as kekkei genkai was to her.

"Let's discuss tactics." She yawned again. "Did you get a good glimpse of those Ota-nin?"

He seemed relieved by the subject change, and answered smoothly: "Zaku, the one who very nearly died by the hands of Uchiha, seems to be able to handle both short and middle-range attacks. The kunoichi seemed solidly middle ranged, and the bandaged one seemed to have strength in long-range. Although all three of them are well-versed enough in their jutsu that they'd be able to adapt if taken out of their element. They are truly excellent shinobi."

"Hmm…" she thought. "You'd probably be the best match for them. One-on-one, so would Lee. He's so quick it'd be over before it could begin. I'd probably end up dead."

"Your skills are not negligible either, Tenten. Your ability to fight distance and in close combat is useful."

Trying to make up for the personal question he had asked, she realized, covering a smirk. He was completely transparent.

Neji had not even realized both his teammates were asleep until Tenten did not answer his statement. He could count on a single hand the number of times she had truly fallen asleep with Team Gai.

Sighing at his team, he turned and took over the guard, waiting for the two to wake.

"Tenten!" A thin, muscular hand gripped her forearm, shaking her awake. "Tenten!"

"Lee?" she groaned. She was not a morning person. Especially not compared to Rock Lee and Maito Gai.

"You've been sleeping for hours – and then you began to have a nightmare!"

"What… I don't… whatever. Thanks. I hope I wasn't too loud." Stretching, she sat up. "I'm surprised I fell asleep so easily." She felt greatly rested – unusual in itself.

"You required the rest." Neji stood above her. "When you are ready, we will complete the earlier agenda."

Hours ago, he'd almost seemed as if he'd open up to her. But she should've known that he'd close himself off again. It was a habit he had – one step forward with Neji, two steps back. As soon as you unlocked one door in the Hyuuga compound, there were twice as many, still tightly locked.

As soon as she'd met her team, she'd operated with a secondary agenda: keep Lee and Gai from precious objects, keep Neji from killing the two of them. Noting the blank stare on Neji's face and the studied innocence on Lee's, she only wondered when the two of them would clash again.

She stood, cracking her spine in the process, and grabbed a scroll. "Did you guys set up a plan of action?"

"We will split up again and survey the area. If we come across a team, we will decide individually if it is an acceptable match. If more than one of us is necessary, we will find each other before engaging the enemy. We will meet back here in two hours or less."

Sticking the scroll in her pack, Tenten leapt away, staying quiet. She searched around for forty five minutes, eventually tiring, until she stopped. She gazed down at the ninja 100 meters away. They seemed to be arguing about something.

Quickly formulating a plan, Tenten decided that she'd set up paper bombs around the perimeter, quietly. Then she'd send some kunai down, hopefully scattering them. The paper bombs would set off, injuring or disarming them. Then, she'd take the scroll.

Carefully initiating her plan, she set up a string of approximately fifty paper bombs within fifteen meters of the arguing group. One almost noticed her, but luckily for her, she was quick. Gai-sensei's training had only honed that speed. She was no Lee, but she was quicker than these genin.

She waited a moment – the bombs were to be set off in two minutes, unless accidentally set off, and then tossed a shuriken in between them carelessly, the shining metal landing quickly down by their feet. Leaping to defense, two of them leapt backwards, tripping the paper bombs – they were stunned in seconds. The third one jumped in the opposite direction, hoping to escape the mess – but the explosions triggered the rest of the bombs, and while the air was still smoky, Tenten jumped down nimbly from her perch and knocked him out with a single finger. Neji had taught her that trick, and she'd used it on Lee more than once.

When the scroll wasn't in his bag, she switched her attention to the others. Each one held a scroll – both heaven. She'd really hit the jackpot with these two. If only they'd also had an earth scroll.

She made her way back smugly to the rendezvous point, ready to brag about her bounty, but this time, Neji looked a little battered.

"You're late." He wheezed slightly. Worry creased her forehead – to get Neji tired, it must've been some fight. Or some escape.

"What happened to you?"

"Lee's big mouth."

She searched for the second Green Beast, and found him, nursing a dislocated shoulder. "What the hell?"

"We ran into some shinobi… who didn't have any scrolls." Neji bit out. "We fought a battle for nothing, and we deserve nothing more for our foolishness."

"Luckily for you two," Tenten couldn't completely stifle a grin at her own prowess. "I got two more scrolls!"

They were both furious, and her shoulders began to shake with laughter as Neji's icy glare alighted on her, while Lee's wide, jealous eyes gaped at her like a suffocating fish.

Struggling for control, tears came to her eyes once more, but she let them come. She couldn't stop them. Gasping for breath at their envy and annoyance, she calmed down, but not before she began to hiccough.

"C'mon, let's just go-o." she gasped.

Obviously seeing her shaking shoulders as revenge, Neji's angry gaze subsided. "All right. We're finished here."

Lee sent a punch spiraling into the air before wincing in pain. "Let's go! But before we do, Tenten, do you think the two of you could assist me in relocating my arm?"

Hiccoughing, she gestured for Neji to hold Lee in place. "Hold on tight. We'll do it on three. Ready? One—"

The pop of bone being relocated was more than slightly nauseating, but Lee's eyes brightened considerably.

"Thank you two! I feel much better! Now let's go!"

The three sped off towards the tower, getting there at one AM on the third day.

x

They waited for two days before lining up and being told there were too damned many of them to pass.

They waited for two days, and then in hardly two hours, Lee was crippled, Neji was a victor, and Tenten was shamed in the shortest battle she'd ever lost.

x

"Hey, Tenten!" Naruto shouted over the running water. "I'm going to train, see you later!"

The door slammed before she could respond. Sighing, Tenten crawled out of bed and decided to go see Lee. He was conscious now, if injured, and Neji had quietly asked if she wanted to join him in a visit. Tenten was feeling fine by now, if humiliated, and she'd agreed to come, as equally quiet as Neji.

A knock on the door told her Neji was here – she hadn't sensed his chakra. She really needed to stop moping.

"Come in!" she called, quickly dressing. Her favorite pink shirt was pretty much destroyed, and that bummed her out too. If she didn't get a handle on her disappointment, she'd explode. And it was made all the worse by the fact that Lee was in the hospital, half-dead. How dare she mope while her friend could be crippled for life?

The door quietly closed behind Hyuuga Neji, who gave a snort at the dust that covered the living room. A few discarded cartons of instant ramen lay in the corners – one a kunai holder, the other, pencils.

Neji had not often tried to imagine the places of living belonging to his squad members. But being in this place that was so sunny and warm and messily domestic, he couldn't help but feel it suited Tenten. Of what he had come to see of Naruto, it fit him as well.

The hardwood was nicked, as if battles had taken place, with a poor-quality rug thrown careless atop it, as if attempting to mask the scarring. The walls must've been white a long time ago, but had faded to a warm, yellowed color. There was nothing but equipment in the living room, and the kitchen help two chairs and a broken table. He peered down the hall, only to see a tiny bathroom, door ajar, and two bedrooms, one of which Tenten stepped out of.

"That's certainly a very colorful rug," he pointed out. Her gaze followed his to the floor, and she laughed at him, although it was forced.

"Pink has always been my favorite color, but Naruto hates it too." Out of habit, she grabbed her scrolls. "Want to spar afterwards?"

Neji measured her with his gaze. She winced, as if she felt him looking through her. It wasn't because of the Byakugan.

"Do you think I revile you for your defeat?" he asked, blunt.

Hanging her head slightly, she bit her lip, sending the tears away. "Hey, come on, I didn't even get to go out with a bang, like Lee," she tried to joke.

There was obvious shame in her eyes, and even pain. Neji did not comment on it – he did not think she'd appreciate it. He longed to let both his teammates know that he had never respected or treasured them more, that his faith in them was stronger than ever, and that if he had fought a Sand-nin, he likely would not have come out of it so easily.

He wondered what she thought of his breakdown, his utter exposure of rage towards Hinata.

"I would enjoy a match," he confessed. "Tenten… you… would you like to train with me? Just because you are not moving on to the final round does not mean you cannot train—"

"You know, your speech gets stiffer when you're uncomfortable." She winked, a smile back on her lips. When it was gone, he almost missed it – her smile was pleasant, calm, and when she teased him he felt as though nothing could go wrong. Her cheer imbued him with his own contentment, quite unlike his annoyance at Lee and Gai's antics.

"Of course I'll train with you. Hey, there's just enough time for you to master a new technique. And I've been working on this special jutsu myself."

They walked, synchronized with the other's footsteps, a skill embedded in their minds after weeks of Gai's insistence. "Tell me about it," he invited. "Perhaps we can aid one another."

"Well, I usually use scrolls to summon enough weapons, but after seeing what happened with that Wind kunoichi, I figured I should learn to use close combat skills better. Unarmed, I'm almost as good as you and Lee, but I need to improve my skills with regular blades. If I can do that, I can manage to embed my chakra in the blade, and it can work as a repellent instead of just a hacking weapon."

"Interesting."

"If I use a blunt object, the same length, we can spar. I doubt I can hit you, but if I do—"

"You have hit me before. Don't flatter my vanity, Tenten. Anyway, my blind spot is weak. When you strike from behind, it's all I can do to stop you. Lee is easier to sense from behind, but he's quick."

There seemed to be something different about Neji today. Was it guilt? Over her? Lee? Hinata, even? After their match, Naruto's rage had bubbled over and he'd shouted at Neji. Tenten had silently agreed, and refused to stop Naruto's yells.

"After your match… The kunoichi threw you as if you were trash. Lee immediately leapt to your defense. His outburst left me feeling… inadequate as a team member." He confessed.

They strode through the village quietly, the shouts of children and civilians cheery, if obnoxious. She watched him carefully, wondering what he was talking about.

"I simply feel as though… while our team work skills are excellent, thanks to our training, I simply have not been focusing enough attention on team practice."

Sensing that if she said anything now, his discomfort would probably kill him, Tenten walked quietly with him. An idea came to her, and daringly, she reached out for Neji's hand.

Looking deeply discomfited, he shot a glare at her as his fingers stiffened. "What do you think you're doing?" he ground out, keeping his pace steady.

"I hold Lee's hand all the time," she teased. "If you want to be part of a real team, you're going to be,the good and the bad. Which means you get to go out to eat with Gai and Lee. Once, they had a contest to see who could chew their food the best."

Regret immediately blossomed in his eyes and she let go of his hand, stifling a laugh with both hands. "Don't worry, that only happened once. We haven't been allowed back in the restaurant yet." At his horrified expression, she choked a giggle. "It's okay, baby steps. First, we'll visit Lee. Oh, we can stop and get him flowers!"

For once, Neji took the lead. "Tenten, I highly doubt Lee would want a flower." He looked at her scornfully.

"What, are flowers for girls?" she mocked, rolling her eyes. "If you're embarrassed to walk in the florist's, we can get him a card. Come on, it'll be a nice gesture."

"Too sentimental," he rolled his eyes. "If you insist."

Dragging him, they visited the shop, eventually settling on an orange card with balloons.

"I feel foolish." Neji confessed, exiting the store.

"Don't worry, it's an eternal side-effect of being on Team Gai. It may never cease. If you're lucky, you can drown your irritation in training… or sake."

His lips twitched slightly, before smoothing into his usual neutrality, as he recalled the time she'd sworn she'd become like Tsunade, drunkenness included. They entered the hospital together.

"Hello!" Tenten looked at the woman brightly.

Furiously the woman turned – and relaxed slightly at Tenten. "Oh… hello. I apologize. What can I help you with ma'am?"

"I wanted to see if Rock Lee is available for visiting?" she asked, smiling at the woman.

"Uh yes, here."

Several moments, and a detour the wrong way later, Tenten slid open the door to Lee's bedroom.

"Hey, Lee!" Tenten crowed brightly. "Nice to see you amongst the living!" she sat on the side of his bed, keeping up a stream of chatter, setting up the colorful card against the bedside table. Hesitantly, Neji stepped in, standing at the foot of the bed, listening to her speak.

"How is the hospital food anyway? We should bring you treats next time. What's your favorite food again? You like curry right? No, you're like Gai, you'll eat anything."

"Neji," Lee croaked cheerfully when Tenten paused for breath. "Who is it you will be competing against in the final round?"

With a wary eye on Tenten, he answered: "Naruto."

Tenten slid off the bed gracefully and waved at Lee, pushing Neji towards the exit. "Well, we'd better be going, we'll come see you tomorrow okay? Or maybe later today, if you promise to get some sleep, and we'll send in Gai-sensei to come visit you with some good, hearty food, okay?"

They were out the door and exiting the hospital before Neji fully registered what was happening.

"What do you mean you're fighting Naruto?" she hissed at him. "Why didn't you tell me? Don't you think it would be important to me that you're fighting my otouto?"

"I would've assumed he had informed you." Neji answered dryly.

"Would you have informed your family you planned on pummeling Hinata? This is serious, Neji! I don't know why or how you thought you two would keep this from me."

"Does it really make a difference? He will insist on making his own way. If you don't train with me, I will train alone. It is immaterial, for you know that I cannot lose to him. Tenten, you insist on protecting this boy, but he is no longer the child you know so well. He is a shinobi, not a child. The outcome of this match, regardless of who he and I are battling, is set in stone. He is a loser. I am a genius. There has never been a possibility of him winning. There was never a possibility of Hinata winning. There was never a chance Lee could win his match. Lee is a loser. And your precious brother is as well."

Fury rose up in her, and she wanted nothing more than to throw a shuriken at his head and test his theory.

"I lost my match. Am I loser? Is Hinata? Sakura-san and Ino-san nearly tied, and the Yamanaka only won because Sakura was half dead before we even got to the preliminaries! What does that make them? The world isn't black and white, Neji!"

The gaze he leveled her with was infuriatingly all-knowing. Hadn't she noticed his utter pompousness? "Even a genius can fall."

"Is that a threat?" he asked, leashing the anger in his own tone with admirable control.

"It's a promise. Let's go. I said we'd train, we'll train. But I won't go easy on you."

x

It was an all-out war between Uzumaki and Hyuuga. While Neji remained untouched by any weapon, he was sweating profusely. Tenten was equally unmarked by Neji's kekkei genkai, but because of her preference for distance fighting, she couldn't nail him. Even going for his blind spot was useless when they were both as agitated as presently.

"I can't keep this up." she panted. "No human could."

Neji smirked at her. "You could always concede victory."

"Not a chance," she grinned. She'd run out of scrolls long ago, and was using her chakra to pull up her weapons and toss them back at him, but now, it was time to get serious. Her chakra was running low, so a blow from Neji was less likely to impede her. And while he was tired from dodging, she was leaping about – she was low on stamina, but she was fast.

Picking up a small branch, she ran towards him and swung, the stick light and flexible enough to deliver a sharp sting if she actually managed to nail him. His fingers were fast, one almost brushing her upper arm as she writhed, dodged, jumped back, eventually poking him on the finger with a light thwap.

Immediately, her anger was gone. "I got the first hit in! I win!"

"I don't remember establishing any rules like that." He answered dryly.

"Hey, it's either that, or a death match. I'm low on chakra – to be honest, if I weren't such a tough, scrappy gal, I'd have fallen over the second we stopped."

He scoffed. "Running on adrenaline? Now I understand why you quit."

"Hey, I didn't quit anything. I _won_. Don't be a sore loser, genius."

He spat. "Did you bring any water?"

"No, let's head to the stream. Boy, it's hot. I could use a swim right now, more than anything." She let out a whoosh of breath.

Walking in-step they silently made it to the stream. Lazily she sat in the shallow creek, sighing as the cool water seeped through the heavy material of her pants.

"You'll be filthy." Neji predicted with quiet satisfaction.

"I am already. Sorry, we can't all be pure, perfect Hyuugas without a single strand of hair astray," she blew a lock of hair out of her face and adjusted her buns, fingers wet and tangling through her sweat-covered hair.

"Get in!" she invited, rolling in deeper until her shirt and hair are soaked.

Reluctantly, he slipped off his shoes and put his feet in the slightly damp earth. For Neji, though, that was enough concession to last a month. She blew water out of her mouth, aiming towards him, missing purposefully.

He glared. "You'll contract an illness."

"So cry when they bury me," she answered drolly.

Scoffing, he waited for her to finish luxuriating in the cool water. When she stood, she was as filthy as he predicted.

"Come on, I need to change. We can go back and see Lee again tomorrow, if you want."

The offer hung in the air like one of her Twin Dragon Scrolls. He accepted, albeit with little grace.

And the next day, she was as sick as he predicted.

x

"Hey, Tenten." Naruto peeked through her cracked door. "I'm leaving okay? Will you be all right?"

"I'll be okay." Groaning, she stepped out of bed. "Be careful, okay?"

"He he he… I always am. See you later! Hey, if you're home, we should have ramen for dinner!" a flash of orange disappeared and the door slammed. Yawning, feeling the vertebrae in her neck crack, Tenten stretched. Her sore throat wasn't made any better by her lack of sleep.

A quiet knock echoed through the thin walls, and Tenten sighed, walking over to open it. Neji looked down at her, and sensed it immediately.

"I suppose the water infected you?" he asked superciliously. Glaring at him, she walked back to her room, throwing on some real clothes and cleaning her teeth.

"I don't know if you should see Lee if you're going to get him sick,"

"I don't know if you should see me if you're going to be such a smug bastard."

"Did you get any sleep last night?" he asked, sounding as unconcerned as if he were wondering about the weather forecast.

Scowling, she answered him.

"Your insomnia really needs to be checked out. I suppose if you're sick and sleep deprived, you can't train with me today." He sighed, as if her selfishness was unbearable.

"I'll train with you. My throat's sore, that's all. Don't coddle me, Neji." They stepped outside and the light blinded her for a moment. "Anyway, when do I ever sleep?"

"Hn. I suppose your stubbornness wouldn't allow you to keep yourself in top condition. Tenten, if you are weak on the battlefield, you will die."

"I'm the reason you passed the second exam," she reminded him, scowling.

He did not bother to scoff, or snort, or give any untoward sentiment. But he did disagree. "Prove it."

The spar did not go nearly as well as it had the day before. In a short hour, Tenten was on the ground, hardly able to breathe. Neji was hardly warming up, antsy to perfect the technique he called the _Kaiten_. However, with Tenten out of commission, he wouldn't have anyone to help him prepare, so he sighed.

"You're ill. Practicing won't help."

"You said you wanted to get ready… to fight with Naruto, so…"

"My sparring partner won't be any good if she's dead."

"Your blood pressure won't be any good if you don't lighten up."

"Would you like to go visit Lee, now?"

"I'm famished, anyway. Sure. Can we stop and get something to eat, first?"

x

Despite her claim at hunger, Tenten couldn't force more than a few bites down before giving up.

"Famished, are you?" Neji delicately spooned soup into his mouth, chewing neatly and wiping his mouth.

"Shut up," she grunted, her voice cracking slightly. "It's none of your business if I'm sick anyway, so stop the mother hen act."

His brows furrowed in annoyance. "Fine," he agreed icily. "It'll be nice to have a break from your incessant giggling."

Stung into an argument, she spat at him: "My giggling is what bothers you? At least I'm not an arrogant brat with a victim complex! At least my cousin and I haven't tried to kill each other! You can't even hold a conversation with the team without losing your temper. Don't run off and call me annoying when you're as insufferable as they get!"

"The insults lose their sting when you can hardly speak," he pointed out equably, his tone superior. But beneath his smooth-faced façade she saw his anger. She'd hit a sore point. The only time you could tell if you hurt Neji was angry was when he chose to show you. His self-control was superb.

She relaxed. "Hey… Sorry." She cringed at his expression – he knew she'd seen his hurt, and was embarrassed. Once again, she'd handled him clumsily. Although she tried tact, it simply wasn't her forte. Like Naruto, she tended to speak her mind. Thanks to her time with the obnoxious half of Team Gai, she'd learned that silence and diplomacy could get her far. But still, despite Neji's strength, prodding the prodigy never got her far, and the complex, albeit subtle emotions beneath his poker face, alluded to a more sensitive nature. One which she could never seem to placate.

"For what?" he asked icily.

She threw a kunai above his head, and he didn't even look at it. Her aim was off – she meant to aim lower, perhaps make him blink, crack the tension, but her arms were beginning to wobble. It hit the ground behind them safely, the street mostly abandoned, off the beaten track.

"You're shaking." He rolled his eyes. "Come here, Tenten."

Trying to force a grin, she staggered a little. "Leave me alone." As he approached, she waved him away. "I'm fine."

Rather than hitting the ground when she stumbled, she hit the wall of his chest. Blowing out a long-suffering sigh, Neji straightened her and glared at her. "You need to see a medic-nin, if you insist on training."

"You're not the only one who wants to practice new techniques, Hyuuga." She wanted to lean into his chest. The white of his jacket reminded her of her bed sheets.

He sat her against the stool and fumbled within his wallet for a few bills, tossing them carelessly. "When we visit Lee, you'll check in. It shouldn't take more than an hour."

It did however, take nearly an hour to walk to the hospital, with Neji's refusal to wait while she swayed on her feet, and Tenten's even more adamant refusal to be carried.

"After the time Gai-sensei carried me across the village on his feet, I'm not being picked up again."

"I may throw you over my shoulder," he threatened tonelessly. "I want to train as much as you do. I am fighting your brother, after all."

"Do you see him as a—"

She woke up in the hospital, with a medic-nin sighing over her. "This isn't a cold," he scolded her. "This is chakra exhaustion, regular exhaustion, and the flu. You'll be fine now, but take these pills for the next few days if you feel any nausea."

"Can I go?" she asked sheepishly, trying to slip off the bed. Shinobi often ended up in the hospital for chakra exhaustion. There was an entire wing of the hospital for quick, in-and-out fixes.

She slipped into Lee's room, with he and Neji carrying on a conversation. As soon as she closed the door, though, both of them bombarded her.

"Tenten! Neji has told me you've collapsed! Are you alright?"

"I had to carry you in as if you were a child."

The voices were in unison, one bright concern, and the other gritted frustration. "I'm fine, Lee!" she popped him the biggest grin she had. "Hey, don't worry about me, just think about yourself! There was a really cute nurse in here – I think he was a nurse, not a medic-nin, and wow was he cute! Is your nurse a guy or a girl? I saw him in this hallway. Maybe I could peek around and find out what his name is!"

"Tenten, do not! He is simply trying to do his job—"

"Is that a flower?"

"What are—" Lee's face went red.

"Has someone been visiting?" she teased. His face went redder. "Is it… Haruno Sakura?"

"The nurse said that a pink-haired girl dropped it off." Mumbling, he twisted the blanket. "I told myself if I did one hundred pushups today that she would visit again—"

Silently she cursed herself again. Of course Lee's twisted sense of justice would stumble into play if she brought up the girl he liked. She felt Neji's eyes boring into her.

"Visiting hours are ending soon!" a nurse knocked on the door professionally. "Say your goodbyes!"

"I'm sorry we came so late today." Neji was expressionless, but it felt as if he were trying to mentally shut down every chakra point she had.

"Tomorrow!" Tenten promised cheerfully.

Lee waved them away, his brave face very obviously about to collapse, and the pair of them walked silently, their friend's injury weighing heavily on them.

The next few weeks passed the same. They battled, they fought, and they visited Lee, who by turns, was filled with hope and devoid of any cheer. A few times they had to drag him back into bed.

But then, the exam's final round was right around the corner and both of them had nearly perfected their new techniques.

"How's your blindspot?" Tenten called as she tossed a kunai, flipping from a tree branch, nearly slipping off. The weapon split in half, one covered in her chakra as a decoy, and the other aiming at her true target.

The technique was to split weapons in half with her chakra, sending it to one half of the weapon, misdirecting it slightly, and sending the naked half into a bull's eye. It took a lot of channeling chakra into her scrolls, and the control it required from her took almost more effort than she was capable of. The real challenge was the flow of her chakra, which Neji helped with.

_"You're terrible at chakra control," Neji had noted dispassionately. _

_"I can do it." She had ignored his discouraging remarks and disparaging comments the entire day, and she was getting tired of his jibes. "If Lee can become a ninja, I can do this. You have a blindspot, anyway, so I can go for that."_

_"How did you know about that?" he demanded sternly, as if she had done something wrong._

_"Neji, I'm a specialist, and I've noticed the way you tend to overcompensate for the one angel behind your head. It gets larger as it cones out, doesn't it? If I get behind you and aim for that small spot, I could kill you. That's why you move so much, and that's why the Hyuuga's specialize in close-combat."_

_"Regardless, you simply won't be able to hit me."_

_She sure wanted to hit him then, but she let him continue._

_"Once again, your control is lacking, whereas I have the Byakugan."_

_"Is that really your reasoning?" she demanded, exasperated._

_"A genius is a genius." Was his smug reply._

_"Well, can you at least help me, genius? You can see my chakra flow – what am I doing wrong?"_

She hated to give him credit after he'd been such an ass their entire session, but she had to hand it to him – she had been hopeless, and he had been relentless.

_"Like this?"_

_"No, focus it more. You're concentrating too hard – feel it. No, don't bundle it too much or it can block your points. Yes, more like that. You're channeling it through more efficiently this way. If you practice channeling your chakra like this, it will become natural."_

She tossed a final kunai down. "You need to rest up for tomorrow. Do you want to come to the hospital with me? Naruto ended up in there, too, did I tell you?"

She could tell he didn't particularly care about his welfare, but she continued.

"He learned a new technique too – it's a summoning technique, he said. Like Gai's turtle? Except Naruto managed to summon a frog instead. His sensei told me. He's been out since at least yesterday – we've been training so much I've hardly noticed when he's come and gone."

They left the forest as she chattered, and Neji hardly listened to her. She yawned, wondering what she'd wear tomorrow. Maybe she'd go shopping. Almost everyone in the village would be there, and more representatives from other Hidden Villages.

She stopped by Naruto's room and saw he was asleep, and checked on Lee, who had disappeared – probably to train. Sighing, she journeyed home. In the past month it felt like she hadn't been there – only to try and fail at getting some sleep. She'd only run into Naruto a few times – and those visits hadn't been particularly informative. He seemed healthy and bright-eyed, so she was satisfied to wait for the tournament to see what he had.

There was no way he'd beat Neji, regardless, so she silently crossed her fingers and hoped for him each time she thought of him. After Neji nearly killed Hinata, she'd wondered what he was capable of. Hyuuga Hinata was another Byakugan user – a formidable skill in the least of talented shinobi, and Neji nearly ripped her to pieces without a regret. She wondered, now, if he had known he was going too far.

Of course, his match didn't even compare to Lee's and the creepy guy from Sunagakure.

Lee had been a monster – completely blowing everyone away. Who could've ever guessed that he was that fast or strong? But Gaara had nearly ripped him in half, like a dog's chew-toy.

The pair went their separate ways and Tenten decided to shop after all.

She had some money saved up from missions, but she decided to splurge. There were a pair of pants she'd seen in a shop window and immediately wanted. They were the same style she usually wore, but the fabric was ten times as expensive, and the color – the color was like a deep burgundy, almost a purple, and she loved it. It was hard to be feminine as a kunoichi, and Tenten tried to keep her appearance as basic as possible without being dowdy. Vanity was a trait she couldn't seem to knock.

She was wandering through the streets with the intent of finding the shop that held her pants when she found her new ribbons.

The setting sun cast a shadow across the towering buildings of the bustling village, shrouding half the street and illuminating the other. Purples, pinks, and hazy yellows spread across the sky, and as the fading sunlight hit her eyes, blinding her, she turned – and spied the fabric on display.

It was obviously silk, a deep yellow that was nearly orange, or brown, or maybe green, with tiny white clouds and spirals. There was nothing special about the material – she rarely even wore ribbons – but in her decision to be vain, she wanted them.

Tenten wanted, just for a moment, while she was unable to fight and prove herself, to be something besides a half-rate kunoichi. Maybe, she hoped, as she confidently walked in and asked for the ribbons, she could be pretty.

Prettiness was a privilege for the civilians – best left to them too. But next to Hyuuga Hinata, or the Yamanaka, she felt plain. She wanted to make her village proud in every possible way – perhaps, in a final, half-hearted attempt to be like Tsunade and be legendary, not only for skills, but for her beauty.

She tied them into her buns as soon as she got them. _Pretty_. Pretty was manageable… wasn't it?

She had promised Neji she'd meet him the morning of for a single, final practice. Praying he wouldn't notice her attempt at pretty, they met at dawn.

It was over quickly – both to save chakra and to make sure that they'd get to the arena on time.

"That was perfect!" she shouted down to him. "You don't even have a scratch!"

"Let's go, Tenten," he called. "That's enough of a warmup."

His jutsu was so impressive that there was no way Naruto would win. She sighed at the thought of Naruto losing. Despite taking so long to pass the entrance exam, someone with his exuberant charm made you want to root for him.

But she'd sworn that when they were ninja, she wouldn't baby him, and Neji was her teammate. Being objective was painful, she acknowledged, wondering if Naruto was still at the hospital, or if he'd gone somewhere else.

She was letting him grow up, and it seemed as if he were shooting up far too fast, sometimes.


	3. Chapter 3

Walking past the stern man who was nearly identical to Neji, Tenten fought the urge to stare. Bowing slightly at him, she slid past and opened the door. Neji sat on a hospital bed, staring down at the ground, appearing more contemplative than murderous.

"I came to see how you are," she tried to keep her shock from showing, as well as her smugness. But with her next question came more sobriety: "How do you feel?"

Large, luminous eyes met hers, their flat lavender revealing almost nothing. But behind the sternness of his gaze lay something she couldn't quite recognize – it was alien to Neji.

"I'm fine." He answered, a small smile beginning to curve over his lips. She was surprised – even in his most unguarded moments, a smile was rare. And now? He'd just lost to Naruto – an idiot rookie.

Closing the door behind her, she stepped closer to him, sitting serenely. "Don't be disappointed," she teased him, noting what seemed to be – lightness? "Even I'm surprised Naruto—"

"Oh… I'm over that." Stretching, he turned to face her, a wondering wryness creeping across his lips.

She stopped. _What_?

"Hiashi-sama stopped by…" he paused, and untied his hitai-ate.

Managing to guard her complete amazement, Tenten watched. Was he really—

Taking off his headband, he bore his mark in front of her. Yet his eyes seemed more peaceful than resigned. "I had always believed branch members would never truly be free." The cryptic sentence had her wondering – what hadn't he told her? "At least, not until the curse marks recede and the Byakugan is sealed." Touching his forehead gingerly, he stopped.

"But it seems as though my father thought differently." He leaned back and met her eyes. "It's true… some things cannot be changed. But perhaps… I've been making blind assumptions this entire time."

A wealth of tenderness filled her. Had Naruto done this? Had the visit from his uncle done this? Every person who had ever been kind to her teammate suddenly had her fervent thanks. This boy who needed reassurance so much, and refused to seek it. "Neji…"

His gaze was steady and unashamed, but out of habit, she continued on a more normal note: "Hey, let's go back to the stadium. Lee and Gai are here – and I'll bet the Uchiha's match will be one to watch." Especially after the way his opponent had dominated Lee, who travelled in so bravely cheerful.

Relieved, Neji nodded. "You're right," he answered, tying back his headband.

Then the floor shook.

She ran to the window and stared outside, shocked. Giant snakes were ripping apart the village? And it clicked – Orochimaru. As one of the sannin, he could summon snakes, right? "What?" she breathed, unable to believe it. Was he attacking?

There had only been whispers about the man who terrified children. Orochimaru was the scary thought that sent children to bed early with their vegetables all eaten.

Neji ran to the door. "The cheering has stopped…" his eyes were narrowed – the tenderness of the moment had ended. It was time for battle.

"The air is different." She waited for Neji.

"Byakugan!"

After a quick beat, he turned to her. "Fighting has broken out in every corner of the village. Sand and Sound is battling the Leaf…"

Sucking in a breath, she stared at him. "But that's like—"

"War." He finished grimly. Then turned and ran. She followed on his heel, until they reached the stadium – and the rows of silent, sleeping people.

Tenten hadn't registered any of their faces when Neji hissed. "Elder!"

As he ran towards his elder, Tenten noticed Inuzuka Kiba. "Hey!" she yelled at him. "Wake up!" she shook him desperately. They wouldn't have killed all these people… would they?

The markings on his face twitched as he came to, too slowly for her liking. He stood, groggily, until he realized the silence. "What the hell is going on here?" he demanded of her.

She breathed in relief. "You're fine," she reassured him.

"So is the Elder," Neji called, the tension leaving his shoulders. "What happened here?" He shook the older man, more gently than Tenten had Inuzuka.

He coughed, trying to sit up. "Hinata has been taken."

"What?" she gaped at him. Tenten could see Neji stiffen.

"Two ninja… from Kumogakure. They took her. Likely they were as uninformed about the alliance between Sound and Sand, and took advantage of the commotion." He struggled to straighten. "I tried to stop them, but Hinata was in no state to defend herself."

She watched Neji wince. What had happened to him in the past half hour?

The Elder grabbed Neji urgently. "The Byakugan is a top-secret jutsu. Your father protected it with his life. It cannot be stolen! You must bring it back!"

Nodding, Neji stood. "I understand."

"I'm coming with you," she told him immediately.

The arrogance that he'd lost for such precious minutes returned. "This is a Hyuuga matter," he answered pompously, albeit regretfully.

"You can't do this alone," she pointed out.

Inuzuka added, "Me too. Hinata is my teammate." His eyes narrowed at Neji. "You don't thin very highly of her, do you? I need to make sure you're serious about saving her."

Feeling her temper rise, Tenten glared at him. "Hey!"

Neji nodded at her. "Then come. Your nose is a useful tool."

Sighing, she nodded. "A three-man team will be more useful," she grudgingly allowed.

"Don't forget Akamaru!" Inuzuka warned. "With him, we're a basic platoon."

The team set off, the wind seeming sharper than usual. Was it the aura of war? Neji led, with Kiba sniffing out the enemy.

"Two ninja, heading straight through the forest."

"The land boundary is up ahead."

"I guess they're taking the shortest possible route back to their village." Tenten supplied.

"This is our territory, but once they make it past the boundary, we're screwed. We have to settle this before then." Kiba sniffed.

Akamaru whimpered, and Neji was immediately concerned. "What's the matter?"

"Akamaru can smell chakra. They obviously aren't genin, with chakra like that."

"Likely even higher than chuunin," Neji nodded to himself, thinking. "Our chances of victory are slim." He seemed to be conceding to their possible deaths.

Kiba seemed to take offense. "There are ways!" he protested. "We could take them by surprise or something. Wait—stop!"

They all halted in unison, the biting wind ceasing as soon as they stopped. Adrenaline was making a hot path through her bloodstream. She was ready – although she didn't particularly like or notice Neji's cousin, she knew this was important to him, regardless. Hyuuga kekkei genkai was at stake.

"What?"

"Is this a trap?"

Kiba looked around grimly, the meadow dank and muddy. "This place reeks of the enemy." Hardly before he finished, though, monsters seemed to sprout from the ground, slowly and menacingly.

"What is that?" Tenten demanded, revolted. "This is so gross."

Activating his kekkei genkai, Neji noted: "A trap, activated by enemy chakra."

More and more appeared from the grungy earth, forming hap-hazard wolves and wild cats.

Kiba growled, looking more animalistic by the second. "They're coming!"

The creatures burst at them wildly, snapping. All three of them sent an attack flying, but for each animal destroyed, another grew again from the earth, unfazed.

"They're endless!" Tenten grit her teeth and adjusted her scrolls.

"This is bad!" Neji hissed. "By stepping into their trap, they might now know they have pursuers."

Likely, with a valuable kekkei genkai on their hands, they already suspected, but Tenten didn't point that out.

"We're running out of damn time!" Kiba howled, sending another enemy flying, some mud splattering on the other two.

Tenten blew a sigh. Her ever-present role as backup. "We've only got one choice, guys." She pulled out a scroll and released her attack, sending her Dragon Bomb out. Perhaps the flame'd dry the creatures up a little.

Watching it, now, she was still impressed with the attack. It had taken a lot to put that into one of her scrolls. "Guys, go!" she ordered them, waiting for more to rise up.

Neji protested, but she cut him off: "I can stop them for a while, and get us some time. You're gonna get Hinata back, right?" she winked at him, and sent him away as more creatures rose from the now-dusty earth. The two hesitated, and she glared at them. "Come on, go!"

Nodding, Neji and Kiba went flying after the Cloud ninja, and she pulled out another scroll. The Dragon Bomb hadn't worked, so likely these guys had a specific weakness – one she wasn't capable of. So she'd distract them. She really wasn't in any particular danger – and Neji knew that. Which is why he let her stay. Otherwise, the wolves would've likely given chase. That was the beauty of a trap like this – unlike paper bombs, which went off once, chakra traps were far cleverer.

"Which weapons would you like me to use?" she asked them conversationally, pulling out a few options. With these, she could simply summon them again without a messy cleanup. She'd learned to put permanent seals on her jutsu.

They advanced slowly, and Tenten grinned. Target practice – and a real mission! "Come and get me," she warned them, and they attacked, in groups of five.

For a while, she managed to fend them off, with several of what sounded like _explosions_ in the distance, maybe a kilometer off. She fought a laugh, sending another creature into a tree.

Fifteen minutes in, she was running out of weapons, chakra, and patience. They just kept coming!

Tripping clumsily, she sent a spear flying slightly off kilter when the jutsu suddenly stopped. She looked up, and what was obviously another Hyuuga grinned down at her. Sighing, she stretched, popping some of the bones in her back, and rolled her scrolls up.

"Come on, we must go see Hiashi-sama."

That was a relief. Neji would be fine with the older man in charge.

They made their way over to another clearing, one with actual grass, and Hinata seemed fine, as well as Neji.

"We're all okay!" Tenten crowed.

"Say… Neji. Sorry." Kiba mumbled shame-facedly.

She stared at her teammate, watching him take it in. Neji rarely apologized, and rarely received them, except from Lee or Gai, which definitely didn't count. The muscles around his mouth had relaxed – even moreso than earlier. Not only did he seem content, he seemed almost – cheerful?

For Neji, at least.

x

Nobody had told her anything until after the Hokage's funeral.

The day was sorrowful – nobody had expected it, until it happened. The Great Third Hokage was dead, killed by Orochimaru, his own student.

Naruto was up before Tenten, who had managed a fitful sleep. He knocked on her door, asking for help with his tangled, messy clothing quietly.

As they walked together, the urge to take his hand and comfort him was overpowering. Tenderly, she wound her hand on his shoulder, and he didn't shrug her away. His acceptance of his affection made her feel far better than anything else could've.

They went their separate ways, Naruto meeting his team and Tenten finding Neji, who was helping Lee use his new crutches.

Sarutobi-sensei, as she'd called him when she was younger, had been Naruto's only champion for a long time. Before Iruka-sensei, before Team Kakashi, before the Rookie Nine. Her heart broke a little to see Naruto so upset, that her own heartache took a back seat. And when Konohamaru cried, it seemed as if the heavens opened up to cry with him.

He'd been a father figure in more way than one to many of them. She watched the flash in all of their eyes as each shinobi placed a flower on his coffin. He'd been a sensei, a father, a friend, and a mentor to everyone there.

The ceremony was somber, and the rain poured for an hour, matching the mood.

Gai carried Lee back to the hospital, and she and Neji stood at the grave site a moment longer, until he stared at the clearing sky.

"Would you like to come with me?"

She did not have to answer. Her voice was too clogged, trapped in the back of her throat where she could not force it out without crying. Instead she looked at him and nodded, following him as he cleared a muddy path through the gravesites until a markered-off area appeared.

"Hyuuga branch members may be buried outside of Hyuuga land, to this special site. My mother is buried here, and my father chose to be here as well." Moving purposefully to the edge of one stone, he looked down upon it. "I often come see my father here."

Masterfully swallowing the lump in her throat, she put a hand on Neji's shoulder, as she had with Naruto. Unlike Lee, she couldn't simply ask "What do you want? Why are you sharing this?"

With Neji, subtlety was key. If his cryptic, albeit moving gesture was expected to land somewhere with her, she didn't know where. Master marksman she may be, this was a bit lost on her. So she only answered: "Thank you for showing me this."

He nodded tightly. Tenten figured out he wanted to be alone, but couldn't bear to ask. She squeezed and told him quietly: "I'm going to find Naruto."

As she walked away, the warm, brisk wind fell into soft gusts, carrying the soft scent of flowers from the Hokage's grave. Her eyes watered a bit.

She wondered how the Yamanaka was doing: most of these flowers had been bought at her family's shop. She wondered after Sarutobi Asuma, after Naruto's team, after their sensei.

x

_"So Gai tells me you want to be like Tsunade. Any luck?" _

_Tenten started as the masked shinobi closed his book. She frowned at him. "If you talked to Gai-sensei you'd know not a thing is working out!" _

_"He told me you can summon pretty well."_

_"Why do you care?" she moped. "I'm not even your student."_

_"My students failed the bell test again. The least I can do for Gai is help you out," he reasoned sensibly. "It'll at least be entertaining to help you out."_

_"So what are you gonna do?" she asked, trying to hide her excitement._

_"I'm gonna give you a tip. Lady Tsunade has a mark on her forehead. It's a chakra focus point. According to the medic-nin, your control is abhorrent. So, to practice, you'll research the focus point and figure out how to do it. It's called the White Strength Seal. It's a formidable technique no matter how you look at it. Keep it a secret, until you master it."_

_She stared at him._

_"While you're at it, try researching all the fuinjutsu you can. If you have a knack for it, there's no better teacher than yourself. It's not really a well-known skill."_

_He opened his book again, and began walking away. She studied him. There was no way he came to her without an ulterior motive – and he must've known she'd figure that out. She was no fool, and he was hailed as a genius. So what was he trying to pull?_

_Regardless, she headed to the library to research the chakra focus point. As she strode inside, the large, imposing librarian stared down at her, his headband ripped and one arm missing._

_"Can you help me find a book on Tsunade's White Strength Seal?" she asked more confidently than she felt._

_He nodded and stood, leading her over to a dusty corner in the large room, near a window that hadn't been washed in years. He wheeled a stepladder over, and while perusing the titles, deftly slid a single finger into the spine or the book he wanted and handed it to her._

_"Thank you," she told him meekly. He smiled, showing a few missing teeth, and walked away._

_She settled at the base of the window and opened the book, which cracked with either newness or from being shut for so long. Opening it, she read a brief biography on Tsunade and her family history, and about a Katsuyu from the Shikkotsu Woods._

_Her eyes began to ache, but she read on, trying to memorize the book's contents. The technique was created by Tsunade, and the point was the chakra concentration and control. A user could choose any amount of chakra to imbue into the seal, for an extended period of time. It could then be released in a jutsu of the user's choosing. However, it was even more difficult to accomplish without the help of a summons, Katsuyu in particular._

_Tenten slammed the book shut in resignation. After she'd offended Gai's turtle, she'd lost hope. But perhaps she'd be able to find Katsuyu and ask for her assistance. Searching for the book's references, she managed to find a book on summons, one on slugs, and another on Katsuyu._

_She walked to the front desk and asked if she could take out the books. He quickly checked them out for her and she held them tightly, racing back home in the streets lit only by lanterns._

_Naruto was home, snoring in the front room, with only a few empty instant ramen cups to show for his night alone, with her fortune-telling cards scattered around the room from the time she'd dropped them, too busy shouting at Naruto to notice. She sighed, and began picking up the dirty cups, tossing them into the trash. Setting down her books, she picked up Naruto and cradled his head, carrying him to bed. _

_"He weighs more than he used to," she thought wryly, remembering when he'd been small. Soon she wouldn't be able to baby him at all. _

_Yawning, she settled off to bed, and fell asleep easily._

"Naruto!" she called to the blond shinobi. "Hey!"

He waved at her eagerly and she jogged over to where he was standing with his team. She smiled at Haruno and the Uchiha. "Hello," she smiled.

"Hello, Tenten." Kakashi answered, raising a hidden brow. "How's the training going?"

Trying to gauge him without Naruto noticing, she smiled. "It's going as well as can be expected. Still having some trouble with summoning, but I'm learning to control it pretty well."

Naruto looked at her blankly. "Since when are you having trouble with summoning?"

She winked. "Never you mind, it's just a new jutsu I've been working on. I bet it'd be easy for you."

Kakashi widened his eyes imperceptibly and nodded at her. "It's good to hear you doing so well on your own."

"Neji trains with you, doesn't he?" Naruto asked, rubbing the back of his head and laughing awkwardly, his blue eyes confused.

"Yeah, sometimes," she answered, looking at Kakashi. "But how are you guys doing?"

Sakura looked sad, staring off slightly. The Uchiha scoffed. Tenten raised a brow. Kakashi forced a grin. "Well kids, I've got to head off. Why don't you do a group activity?"

"Hey, Tenten, we can go for ramen!" Naruto suggested, hope in his large blue eyes.

"Hn. Go by yourself, dobe," the Uchiha turned away, but slowly, as if he were waiting for something.

Sakura dashed after him. "Oh, I'll go with you, Sasuke-kun, I'm not really that hungry anyway," she had an eager, puppy-like look on her face. Taking a single look at her expression, Tenten sighed. Lee and Naruto didn't have a shot.

"Wait up, Sakura-chan, teme! I'll come!" Naruto shot Tenten a pleading look, and she nodded, winking at him.

Where had their closeness gone? She knew he loved her and needed her – but with the arrival of his team was a genuine self-confidence that eventually overcame his past bravado and boasting. He used to need her reassurance, but now… now it was Naruto on his own. She knew him better than anyone, and she also knew that she had to let go.

As soon as he put that hitai-ate on, he hadn't been her otouto, but Uzumaki Naruto, Konohagakure's number one knucklehead ninja.

It was when she heard the whisperings that she found out what was really happening.

x

"What the _hell_ do you mean you fought Gaara!" she slammed her headband down onto the rickety wooden table with a harsh _thud_. "Naruto!"

"It was a mission!" he explained earnestly. "We had to rescue Sasuke!"

"We?" she demanded incredulously. "Who else was involved in this? Who assigned a hairbrained mission like that! How are you even alive right now?"

"Sasuke went after him, so Kakashi-sensei sent me, Sakura, and Shikamaru after him, with one of his ninken…"

Nara Shikamaru… good. He'd been made a chuunin, the only one out of all of them this year. Had he saved the day?

"So I summoned Gamabunta, because Gaara turned into this freaky monster thing, and wow, can I tell you, he was scary! So Gamabunta helped me fight him by transforming into this thing that I dream about sometimes? Kind of like a wolf, or a fox, and we fought Gaara! I had to knock him out in time, because he was choking Sakura!"

She settled and listened to his story, and before he could finish, swept him in a hug. "You idiot! Idiot, idiot, idiot! You could've been killed! You're just lucky you summoned that toad! Was that your secret technique?"

Naruto peered up sheepishly. "Uh… yup! Believe it! Ero-sennin taught me."

"If I promise not to yell at you," Tenten looked mischievous. "Will you help me with the summoning technique?"

x

"So why'd you wanna learn this anyway, Ten?" he asked her, showing her the designs of the scroll.

"To help me learn a new technique."

"Is that why you don't sleep anymore?"

She winced. "Kind of. One of the side effects of doing it badly is insomnia. I haven't really been able to sleep since I started trying to master this technique. It's chakra concentration – it's a seal, which isn't as hard for me, when I focus on it that way, but controlling my chakra is a constant effort. Because it's second nature to me now, I can't sleep. If I do, my chakra goes all over the place."

He nodded, biting his lip, and continued. "This is for the toads…"

"I have the symbol for slugs," Tenten showed him the book. Nodding, he completed the scroll.

"Okay, and recite this, and you have to bleed and press it here, and it should summon someone."

He waited while she stared at it, indecisively. _I hate indecision… why am I letting myself stand here like a fool_? But she waited, deep in thought. "Thanks, Naruto," she winked at him. "This sure helps!"

"Aren't you gonna try it?" he demanded, dumbstruck. "I didn't show you for nothing, I wanna see the slug too!"

"Not today," she warned him. "Besides, it's way too late for that. We should be going to bed right now, anyway, look how dark it is! The village was just attacked, we can't just cause trouble."

He grudgingly accepted her logic, and she sighed. What she wanted more than anything was to do it right that minute. But she wanted to see if she was ready.

"Come on, I'll take you out for ramen—"

"Really?! Great, let's go—"

"Tomorrow, Naruto," she laughed. "And maybe tomorrow we'll try the new technique."

"Do you promise?!" he hooted, slamming the door open. "He he… get ready for bed, try to sleep well, because tomorrow's gonna be a big day!"

x

Tenten struggled home. She was exhausted – not so much from the mission, but from Naruto's antics there and back. It'd been so long since they'd received a real mission that she'd forgotten how much she relied on Neji's calm.

Naruto had been eager – too eager. Despite being declared team captain, he still did what he wanted, busting through any barrier without permission or forethought. And the mission had turned out to be so much more than they'd thought.

_"New team member?" Tenten asked suspiciously. Gai-sensei had ripped her from Naruto on their way to forest and sat her down with Neji. _

_"Yup!" Naruto peeked from behind Gai. "He just now decided!"_

_Tenten couldn't help but let her jaw drop, and Neji's protests were far more powerful. _

_"Why him, of all people?"_

_"The luck of youth!" Gai proclaimed. "With poor Lee out of commission, you must go on this quick mission! It should take half a day!"_

_Crossing his arms, Neji glared at their sensei. "What is the mission?"_

_"Simple pickup! Easy enough for Tenten! Here's the map! But I really must be off! Kakashi is waiting for me!"_

_"Doubt it," Tenten muttered._

_Gai leapt away, leaving Tenten to lead the formation_.

"Meditate with me, Tenten," Neji suddenly ordered her. Naruto had gone happily off, Tenten fulfilling her promise for ramen by shoving some free meal passes into his hand.

"Meditate?" she asked, and he forcibly took her hand, with precise, stiff movements, as if the gesture pained him. She was reminded of her earlier teasing - "_I hold Lee's hand all the time. If you want to be part of a real team, you're going to be. The good and the bad_."

Had he really taken it to heart?

He led her through Konoha, until they reached a pier. He sat, pulling her down next to him, and closed his eyes, folding his body into the traditional position for meditation.

"Do you really feel so useless to the team?" he asked her soothingly, his voice mellow. Peeking through her own closed lids, she noticed how peaceful he seemed in his position.

She frowned, remembering her admission. "Not useless, exactly…" she answered tersely, trying to express her feelings. "It's more like… Lee grew so quickly, and you've always been amazing. We really got to see that during the exams. But I'm… backup. I just wish I had more chances to show what I've got, you know?"

Still peaceful, he waited a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking. "Well, your attack capabilities are best suited for mid and long-ranged attacks. Your taijutsu is good, your ninjutsu the same. You're intelligent, and quick, if weak. Your stamina is utterly abhorrent, and your hand seals are weak. You have a good deal of knowledge besides your analytical skill. You're far more suited in a team position to lend help from the shadows. However, you've proved today that you are a quick thinker and able to handle the pressure of combat, even outnumbered."

He opened his eyes and ticked them off on his hands: "Your tai, fuin, and bukijutsu are your strong points. Your summoning and sealing is enviable, your skill with weapons even moreso. You are intelligent. Your knowledge and quick-thinking are strong points, as well as your ninjutsu. However, your genjutsu, strength, and stamina are about as low as a ninja's could be. Lee's taijutsu is his only strong point. I am by far the most capable on the team."

"What's your point?" she mumbled.

He sighed. "Tenten, we will have to work on your close-combat skills. You're skilled, but are rarely afforded the chance to use them. You and I shall train while we await Lee's recovery."

"Why are you being so helpful?" she demanded suspiciously.

"I know you're disappointed that you could not take the Jidanda," he explained, looking less peaceful and more strained by the moment. "But, perhaps, Captain, you will be able to return one day and receive it. Until then, you must practice your close combat skills."

"Are you going to practice your long-range?" she teased him, relaxing.

"There are a few mid-range techniques I'd like to attempt," he allowed. "However, the training sessions shall be about you, for once."

The admission made her feel like flying.

Until she realized she still hadn't tested the summoning jutsu.

x

_"Why are you being so helpful?" Tenten demanded, staring at him squarely._

_Kakashi shrugged and closed his book. "You remind me of someone I knew once," he offered, trying to placate her._

_"Don't just tell me something cryptic and get away with it! Look, I appreciate everything you've done, but what's your motive? Don't tell me you're just doing this out of the kindness of your heart! Only Naruto-baka would believe that," she huffed at him._

_He sighed and met her eye squarely, raising his forehead protector so that his eye, the Sharingan eye, marred by a heavy scar, met hers directly. "Tenten…"_

_"Don't give me any crap," she warned him. "I may only be a genin, but I never miss my target."_

_His silver eyebrows twitched a bit at the jibe, and he nodded, before sighing. "You're Naruto's family—"_

_"You gave me advice way before you would've known Naruto was going to be your student," she accused._

_"Will you let me speak?" he asked calmly._

_"Naruto and you have both experienced a great deal of alienation." Tenten swallowed, but did not deny it, and did not confess her ignorance as to why on earth mothers took their children out of his line of sight the second he walked by, or why the children his age had always whispered about him. "I didn't know he would be my student, but I suspected it. I'm the only one capable of handling him out of Asuma, Kurenai, and myself. There were a few other jounin teachers, but none that are free to take on a new squad. I can see how Gai favors Lee – isn't there always a favorite? And I can see how the Hyuuga boy doesn't particularly need extra help. Consider it a favor… like I said, you remind me of someone I knew a long time ago."_

"Who do I remind you of, Kakashi?" Tenten asked him quietly.

He didn't turn towards her, the way Naruto would've, or remain silently stoic, as Neji would've. He wasn't like Lee, either. Instead, he answered clearly: "The one I come to see here, every day."

She took unsteady footsteps towards him, and with a long, calloused finger wrapped in gloves, he pointed at a name, printed neatly on the memorial, slightly more discolored from the rest, as if he'd held it.

"Nohara Rin," she read clearly. He didn't twitch – it was more of a gentle step back, as if she'd hit him.

"It's my fault she died," he answered, keeping his voice level.

She wasn't a fool – this wasn't a tender moment. He was a teacher, her teacher, Naruto's teacher, and she was just a genin who hadn't even made it to the final round of the chuunin exams. This was not a confession, but a fact. It was what she wanted: he was explaining who and why, like she asked.

"She was a medic-nin from my team, a long time ago." His gaze never left the memorial. "You'll probably find out the rest as you advance – in age and rank – but for now, all you need to know, is that she was a hero amongst kunoichi, and it's my fault she died."

"Kakashi…"

Guilt flooded her. It hadn't been her place to demand so much – she should've just been grateful for his assistance. Instead, her nosy nature poked up and demanded she find out why, why, why.

"Do you know why everyone used to hate Naruto?" she blurted.

This time, he really did look over his shoulder at her, if briefly. "I do," he answered calmly. "But that's classified, Tenten. Maybe if you read up on Konoha history, you'll find out more than you'd think."

He was finished. It didn't seem like much, but the set of his shoulders, his fingers on the stone, his eyes, once again faraway, told her he would not speak again. So she left, and went to the pier.

Neji was there, and he waited until she settled down to open his eyes. "If I thought you'd come by every day, I wouldn't have brought you here," he pointed out in irritation.

"Have I ever told your fortune?" she asked suddenly. "Come on, I've done Lee's, let me do you."

He snorted in disgust. "Why would I let you do that?"

"Because you're not hung up on predestined lives and fate anymore. So can I?"

"Will you leave after?"

Raising a brow, she glared at him. "No fair, you promised you'd train with me!"

He scowled. "Not yet. Do I get a moment's rest? I planned on meditating and relaxing yesterday, until Gai saw fit to try and carry me away."

Stifling a giggle, she covered her mouth in shock. "No, did he really carry you?"

The image of a disgruntled Neji being held in the air by Gai was too ridiculous to contain herself, and she burst into laughter, disregarding his annoyance.

Thrusting his palm towards her, Neji looked, once again, deeply discomfited. As she traced the lines of his palm, she realized why: for a Hyuuga, it was more than intimacy. His hands were his ninja tools, his most precise weapon.

"The left hand is what you're born with," she explained gently, taking his other hand. "The right is supposed to be what you make of yourself."

This was why she wanted to see Neji's hands – the man who defied destiny, who believed in it so strongly, only to have his preconceived notions shattered.

"The horizontal line here," she pointed right beneath the upper pads of his palm. "Is your heart line. This one is supposed to say your romantic desires and emotional stability. Look, see how it's parallel to this line? That means you have a strong lid on your emotions. But where it begins, right beneath the middle finger? That means you're selfish with your love. It matches your other palm. Okay, so the one parallel to them? It's your head line, and this one represents your mind. See how it's long and straight on your left? It means you're realistic and very focused. But on your right, see these other lines crossing? It means that there's some sort of momentous decision-making in your future."

He stared at her as she doodled a path on his extended hands, gentle and warm. "The line that hugs the pad of your thumb is the lifeline. See, your left hand here is short, which means you're often manipulated by others. But on your right, it breaks off into more than one. Typically, a broken lifeline means a lifestyle change. Duplicates means you have tons of stamina and vitality. Okay, this last one is the one you're more likely to be interested in. Okay, so on the left palm, it's a deep line, which means fate should have a grip on you, but see here, where it kind of changes the direction? That's supposed to mean you're affected by other forces besides fate, like things you decide to change yourself. But here on the right palm, it starts at the base of your thumb, which means you'll have lots of support from friends and family, see here?"

He was silent and she winked. "Wanna hear more? So palm shaped has something to with it too. You seem to have a Water Palm, because your fingers and palm are equal in length."

"What does that mean?" he asked, masking his interest.

"Well…" she threw back her head. "It sort of means you're introverted and moody, like water. You can change easily. Your intuition is impeccable. Your palms are more oval-shaped too, which guarantees it. There's other stuff too, but it's harder to memorize palms than fortune-telling,"

He didn't stop holding his hands out, and she didn't stop holding them.

Gripping them tightly, he didn't stop holding her when she bit her lip so hard it bled. "What are we going to do if Lee can't fight?" she tried not to choke on her own tears, the lump in her throat so large she couldn't breathe. "We're not Team Gai without Lee!"

Neji didn't answer, but held her palms all the more firmly as she tried, so hard, not to let her emotions get the better of her.

"What if he doesn't get better?" she hung her head and shut her eyes tightly, squeezing as hard as she could, refusing to let tears escape.

She took a moment to regain her composure, and smiled up at Neji. "Thanks for letting me read your fortune," she teased him. "I only asked now because you're finally able to take it lightly."

"I don't have time for such foolishness. Why don't you go visit Lee in the hospital?" Neji closed his eyes and withdrew his hands. Her palms felt cold with the loss of his warmer ones.

"Do you want to come?"

"Not in particular."

She made a face. "Why not?"

"Because Gai is likely there. He's usually there at this time, and I don't know if I can deal with the pair of them carrying on." Neji's face was twisted in disgust. "Regardless, why are you bothering me?"

She raised a brow playfully. "Come on, don't tell me my fortune-telling wasn't fun. But maybe I will visit Lee, after all. He's not as mopey as you."

Neji shut his eyes again, pointedly, and she left, starting off in the direction of the hospital. Gai wasn't there after all, and Lee was moping.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked cheerfully. "Looks like there's a fresh flower here."

Lee looked upset. "Gai-sensei left because something happened, I just know it! But I still have my physical therapy to do today!"

"I can help you, if you like. Don't worry about Gai, I'm sure whatever's happened, he can handle it. Anyway, what—"

"No, you cannot! I cannot wear my jumpsuit, so Gai wears it, and it is just like old times!" Lee's enormous eyes were earnest and heartbroken by the loss of his sensei's assistance.

"It's just for today, Lee-kun," she told him, raising a brow. "Come on. What do you—"

"It will not be the same!" he crossed his arms, looking like a little boy. "I need Gai-sensei here!"

An idea occurred to her. One that only Lee would accept, and one that would embarrass the hell out of her. "Lee…" she began carefully. "Don't get too excited, but I still have the jumpsuit Gai-sensei gave to Neji and I…"

"You do!" Lee clasped his hands, eyes filled with tears. "Tenten, are you offering to wear it so you may help me train! I will become a ninja in no time, thanks to the power of your youth! The lotus shall bloom again, youthful flower!"

Tenten blushed, completely overwhelmed. _Damn_. Why had she mentioned it to him?

She made a promise she'd run three times as fast, and exited through the window, leaping back home to get to the stupid jumpsuit. She changed quickly, wincing at the way it clung to her hips and chest – or the lack of thereof.

Bouncing back to the hospital, she stopped, seeing figures on the river. The light disrupted her vision – but she thought she saw Kakashi there. She couldn't tell who else was there – the vague chakra signature she got wasn't Kakashi's, or any other one she recognized. Actually, it sort of reminded her of the Uchiha.

Time spent with Neji had made her more aware – and she realized it was nearly identical to Uchiha's. She quickly popped her head through Lee's window and swore she'd be back in half an hour, and while trying to simultaneously soothe his distressed tears and make an exit, she crept over the tall roof of some building or another – she had never paid particular attention to the roofs of the buildings in Konoha – when she found she couldn't move.

Peering down, she saw the Nara. "Shikamaru-kun, let me go," she hissed at him. His expression was bored, but he didn't release her. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm not letting you get any closer to that river," he sighed, yawning. "Any idiot knows not to mess around if more than two jonin are meeting up somewhere. Especially at that river. Probably, there's some sort of unwelcome guest. Likely, you'll end up in the hospital, if you don't die. I can't tell who's over there, but it's probably not a friend."

"Well, I wanna see who it is." She explained, unable to move. She was starting to get a crick in her neck. "At least let me go, and I'll come down there." He complied, and she hopped down. "Anyway, aren't you curious?"

"Not really. Too troublesome. Since when did I say you could call me kun?"

"Well, I want to know what's happening. It looks big! Isn't it exciting?" she fought a smile at his look of horror.

"Big doesn't equal exciting," he pointed out. "Besides, this is probably dangerous."

"You're a chuunin now, come with me! We can mask our chakras and take a peek from the top of some building."

He groaned.

"You can watch the clouds while we're up there," she teased, remembering Naruto complaining about Nara's laziness.

He sighed again, in what she took to be agreement.

The two of them found a tall, domed building, shady enough for Shikamaru to sit back, and close enough for Tenten's curiosity to be appeased – until she grabbed him.

"Shikamaru, look closely. Can you see?" she said, focusing. "Those jackets- I know them from somewhere. They're black, with what look like clouds – red clouds."

"Hnn… I'm sure I've heard of it somewhere."

"Hurry up and think of it then, they don't look friendly, and I'm not getting any closer than necessary."

"Hn. I think I do remember some gossip about a very troublesome organization that wore cloaks."

She shot him a disapproving look. "Well, hurry up and—oh!"

Her shock even brought Shikamaru to a sitting position, albeit slowly. Gazing out, he mirrored her exclamation. "Oh man," he said. "What just happened?"

All of the senseis had leapt out and seemed to be fighting them. Kurenai was a lump – was she okay? The other two, who she assumed to be Kakashi and Asuma sensei. Crawling forward, the two of them stared as Kurenai fell into the river.

"Wow," she breathed. "I guess you never realize what a real fight is when you're just a genin."

"Or even a chuunin," Shikamaru added. "Oh man, what a drag. If we ever want to be jounin, we'll have to learn all those troublesome techniques."

"Maybe we better alert someone," Tenten fretted, watching. "Look at that guy's sword!"

"Look at Asuma-sensei… and where did Kurenai go?" he looked totally bewildered. "What the hell is happening?"

A water-jutsu sprouted from the river, and Kurenai seemed unharmed. But again, more water sprayed, and their vision was obstructed.

As the blast died down, they noticed Kurenai and Asuma standing stock-still, as if waiting for something. Was it a standoff? What was happening?!

"I'm gonna go down there and see what's happening," Tenten whispered, feeling as if, even at this distance, her movements could be a distraction to the fighters below.

"It's three against one… there's no way…" Shikamaru whispered, as if trying to reassure himself of their safety.

"Look, that's Kakashi, he just fell over for no reason!" Tenten's curiosity and fear were killing her, and she silently leapt to another building, closer, and hid beneath the frame of the roof.

"Tenten, get back here now. Wow, this is troublesome," he said, eyes wide, his whisper harsh.

The taller man with a sword rushed at Kakashi, swinging the weapon as if it were nothing. Tenten sucked in a shocked gasp, when Gai-sensei leapt past, quicker than lightening.

Shikamaru hadn't noticed – it'd take someone who knew Gai-sensei very well to sense his speed. Before she had registered his passing, he was down there, nearly a hundred meters away. He lifted Kakashi, who was soaking, and Tenten watched with bated breath. But the two ninja disappeared.

"What?!" Shikamaru breathed. "Where'd they go? Aw, man, this is troublesome."

Shaking her head, she watched Gai-sensei. "No, I think they left. I don't know why, though."

He collapsed in relief, flipping over onto his back. "At least that's over," was all he said.

"Not yet!" she protested. "I still want to find out who he is. And I have to go back to the hospital anyway. Lee's waiting for me."

"You can go," his eyes lost their focus. "I'm staying right here."

Rolling her eyes, she made her way back to Lee's window, where he looked unhappily patient, arms still crossed.

"Tenten! You're finally back!" he crowed. "Now will you help me walk around the hallway?"

She'd forgotten about the jumpsuit. Ridiculously relieved that the Nara hadn't commented, she nodded, and lifted him out of bed. "Ugh. When did you get so heavy?"

"Muscle-mass, Tenten! The youthfulness of my body blossoms with each day! I will get stronger again!" he declared, eyes fiery.

Once, before Lee had taken Gai's every word as law, he'd been skinny and weak, as well as smaller. During training, Neji had hit him a smidgeon too hard and sent him flying – leaving Tenten to pick him up. He'd been a lot lighter then. Now, he weighed at least a stone more than she did.

Setting him gently down and handing him his crutches, he chattered on about Gai-sensei. She hesitated before mentioning the fight she'd seen. She didn't want him too excited – Lee at his normal level of excitement was a mess.

"I'll come back and visit you tomorrow," she told him cheerily, after they'd circled the hallway and visited the rooms of other nin Lee had seen to befriend.

Asking a nurse for Kakashi's room – which was given with a scowl by one of the nurses, who had dealt with him before – she walked in, only to see Gai-sensei.

"Will he be okay?" Tenten asked, knowing Gai had seen her on the rooftops.

"He's asleep now, but he'll be fine!" Gai shouted cheerfully, giving her his typical 'Nice Guy' pose.

"Really, sensei," she looked at him dryly.

"The power of youth will prevail!"

"He's not as youthful as he used to be," she pointed out.

"I resent that accusation," Kakashi answered, his headband off, eyes hardly open. "Does anyone know where I put my book?"

Tenten's jaw nearly dropped. "What happened to you anyway?" she demanded of him. "You fell over like a lump! Who were those guys? Kakashi, you could've really hurt yourself! What were you thinking, facing them! I'm sure you knew how powerful they are!" she scolded him, grabbing his shoulder.

"The fire of youth burns bright in her, ey, Kakashi?" Gai chuckled. "It's refreshing to see a student so concerned for her teacher."

"And you!" she rounded on her sensei. "What took you so long?"

"I had to make sure ANBU reinforcements were coming," he winked at her. "Kakashi will be fine. I se you're wearing the jumpsuit of youth, as well! Taking after your sensei, ey?"

"I wore it because Lee wanted me too!" she seethed at his smugness. "Because you weren't there! Only Kami knows what took you so long to leave Lee and help Kakashi!"

"_Tenten_," Kakashi's warning voice came from beneath his mask.

"And where the hell is my otouto?" she demanded of him, rounding back on Kakashi. "You have to be one of the worst teachers ever! How often do you even supervise him while he trains? He's not the knuckle-head ninja for nothing, and I'm sure you know it better than I do!"

Gai swept out, mumbling about visiting his protégé while Kakashi narrowed his gaze on her.

"It's not my duty to watch over him any longer, Tenten—"

"I don't know what the hell you think you're—"

"Let me speak, Tenten," he narrowed his gaze, one eye dark gray and the other red. "I was assigned by the Third to watch over Naruto. However, a superior has taken over his supervision."

"And who the hell would that be?" she demanded.

"Jiraiya, the Toad Sage."

She stopped and narrowed her eyes right back. "One of the Sannin? Like Tsunade-sama?"

"Precisely."

"What's he doing babysitting Naruto-baka?" she asked incredulously.

"Tenten, the digger you deep, the more dangerous the road gets," he warned her, rubbing the jaw beneath his mask.

"You think I care about the danger?" she demanded furiously. "Come on, Kakashi, this is my otouto! If anyone has a right to know, it's me. I know him better than anyone and right now it seems like I'm the only one who is out of the loop on this!"

He gazed around the room and ordered her to lock the window and door. Complying, she sat on the edge of the bed, curling up, staring at him.

"I'm going to tell you some very classified information," he told her levelly. "It does not leave this room. I'll be lucky if I'm conscious long enough to tell you this. My chakra stores are—well, I'll just get to the point.

She nodded, daunted.

"Uzumaki Naruto is a very special child. He inherited the name Uzumaki through matrilineal descent, as his true name is too dangerous. His father was the Fourth Hokage, and his mother a jinchuuriki."

He held up a hand, anticipating Tenten's questions.

"The first rule of you learning this information is that you will not speak to Naruto. Don't even breathe a word. This is the reason he was alienated for so long, and why when you were seen with him, you felt it too. Not many people know of this, Tenten, and it is of absolute import that you tell no one."

She nodded.

"I will tell you more someday, but for now, all you can know is that Naruto is also a jinchuuriki. He holds the spirit of the Nine-Tailed Fox within him. This is why he was reviled, and this is the source of his chakra reserves."

Tenten nodded.

"Now, anything else I tell you could get me in deep trouble. If you are curious about anything else, you can research it – whatever you find is whatever isn't classified. You can leave now."

She was exiting before she even realized that the information he'd given her answered her question – but without doing anything else.

"Where the hell is Naruto?"

The cry rung out through the hospital room, and she marched back into Kakashi's room. He sighed.

"Did you think your stupid aura of mystery would kick me out?" she raged. "Where the hell has he been all day? And who were those guys?"

He sighed, looking exhausted and older than his twenty-six. "That was Uchiha Itachi of the Akatsuki. Naruto and Jiraiya-sama left Konoha, partially to hunt for Tsunade-sama, and partially to get Naruto as far away from them as possible."

Incredulous, she stared at him. "Why were you trying to keep that from me?"

He pulled out his _Icha-Icha_ from beneath the covers and sighed. "Because you're now likely to go after him, and even worse, get killed because of it."

Kakashi was right. She didn't even bother to change out of her jumpsuit before heading out, only to be met on the road by the Uchiha himself, Sasuke.

x

"What the hell are you doing here?" he ripped out, heading at full speed as she matched him step for step.

"You may be heading for your brother, but I'm heading for mine," she snapped, stepping up her pace, hoping he'd either fall behind or be forced to focus his chakra to the point where talking would be too much effort.

She lead the way, until the sheer force of his will had him sprinting ahead of her, leading her to a building where she could sense Naruto's chakra.

"Naruto!" she shouted before the screeching of the Uchiha's Chidori blocked out any other sound. Naruto's blue eyes met hers, and Sasuke's Chidori met the wall – Uchiha Itachi stopped him easily.

The crunch of bone was sickening, and Sasuke screamed. Itachi easily lifted him and sent him into the wall with a harsh crunch. Naruto was staring, wide-eyed at the two men, shaking slightly.

_Naruto_…

The scraped-apart wall and smoky room slowly cleared, and Naruto formed the pose to summon – when the huge sword swung down at Naruto.

Quickly, Tenten moved – not even realizing what she was doing, quickly summoning the first weapon she had – a wooden spear. _Shit_! Using it anyway, she swept in front of Naruto, using she spear to ward away the bandaged weapon. What was beneath that thing?

"Sorry kid, but I wasn't aiming for him… but his chakra. Luckily for you, you had a wooden weapon. Nothing I can't smash, though." Kisame pondered before cracking the wood.

Tenten's strength was quickly giving out as she struggled to hold it away. "Back away Naruto!" she ordered, jumping back.

Almost before she could clear a foot, he was swinging the giant thing down again, like an axe, and she cringed – but in a puff of smoke, something stood around her. Squinting, she realized –a frog?

"You two don't know at all do ya? Should've done your homework. I fall victim to no women's charm! Rare beauties fall at my feet!" he proclaimed. "It isn't in my nature to be duped by the wiles of women. When you reach the stature I have, the ladies kneel and worship at your awesomeness!"

A tall man, pulling the same 'Nice Guy' pose as Gai grinned stupidly, holding a half-naked woman over his shoulder, proclaiming himself

"Don't give me that!" Naruto exclaimed furiously. "One wink from a pretty girl and you turn into a mountain of mush! You fell for it like a ton of bricks, Ero-Sennin!"

"Please, don't call me that in front of company," he rubbed his head sheepishly, looking like an older version of Naruto with his white hair that spiked just like his. Tenten stepped back, bewildered. What the hell was this farce? Was that really one of the legendary Sannin? This was Tsunade-sama's team mate?

"_Are you kidding me_?!" Tenten and Naruto shouted.

The two continued to banter back and forth, with Tenten staring in disbelief. Was she really supposed to entrust Naruto to this guy?

Kisame chuckled though. "Whatever name you go by, Jiraiya-sama, it's irrelevant." He voiced Tenten's belief. "You're a bit of a disappointment - a lecherous old man with the disposition of a child… it's difficult to believe you're a Sannin."

"Do not be deceived by appearances! Or whatever this brat has to say," he sheepishly pointed at Naruto, trying to chuckle.

"So you managed to release the genjutsu we cast on her, ey?" Kisame pointed at the woman over his shoulder.

"He's the one you're really after, isn't he?" the Sannin asked, placing the woman down. Sasuke and Naruto both swallowed.

"Naruto is the prize the Atkatsuki are after… and we will have him." Uchiha Itachi spoke quietly and reservedly, almost as if it were a formal event. He released Sasuke, who collapsed.

The toad disappeared, and Tenten stepped back, moving into a defensive position in front of Naruto.

"There's no way you're getting him!" she said ferociously, masking her quaking knees.

"We shall see," Itachi answered, not moving his gaze from Jiraiya.

"Actually, this is convenient," Jiraiya noted conversationally. "I can eliminate you both at the same time."

Was that what it took to be deadly? Talk to your opponents like friends before killing them? Was she supposed to be impressed by their cool or something? Tenten took a leaf out of Neji's book and remained impassive, keeping her gaze on the Akatsuki.

"Stay out of this," mumbled Sasuke from the floor. "The only one who is going to eliminate him is _me_!"

Itachi turned a nonchalant gaze to his injured brother. "You don't interest me at the moment."

"Get interested!" Sasuke lunged for his brother, only to be kicked back like a child's doll. Tenten watched, amazed. One Uchiha had been the rookie to beat… and his older brother was no rookie.

"Sasuke, no!" Naruto shouted angrily. "_Damn_ you, you lousy…"

"No, Naruto!" Sasuke shouted hoarsely at him, his eyes black and raging. "Don't butt in! Mind your own damn business!"

The rebuke had him stopping, and Tenten wanted to grip him close.

"I've lived my whole life for this moment," Sasuke struggled to stand. "This fight… is mine!" he roared, activating his Sharingan and running full speed at his brother.

Tenten could've listed a hundred reasons why that was stupid and wouldn't work, but before she completed her list, Itachi stopped his brother, hardly even looking at him.

Tenten was chagrined. He had no killing intent – if Sasuke stood there, Itachi would not attack. Sasuke was bringing the pain onto himself. He didn't have a _chance_ of defeating this guy.

Flinging Sasuke back to his corner at the end of the hall, Itachi began to turn away. "I'm not finished," Sasuke grunted. "This fight is _mine_."

Almost pitying him, Tenten watched, more enthralled than ready for battle at this point – all of them were. But Itachi sighed. "So be it."

Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. Itachi wanted Naruto – and damned if any of them would let it happen, albeit for different reasons, and if Sasuke was going to stand in his way, Itachi would crush him.

Jiraiya stepped forward, but the blue-skinned man held his sword dangerously. "You heard him old man. This isn't our business. Let them sort it out,"

His smile made her shiver, a curving, malicious smile with sharp rows of teeth, more animalistic than human.

"Finally!" Sasuke grunted, before Itachi's fist slammed once more into his chest, sending away his breath.

"Show him no mercy," the man smiled at the thought, but Itachi ignored him.

"You're still too weak," Itachi told his younger brother. "You do not have enough hate. You never will."

The words were simple, and despite her lack of foreknowledge, Tenten ached for the younger Uchiha. And then he began wailing, heartbreaking, blood-curdling wailing that was like that of a child in it's simple, unrestrained agony, but hampered by the adolescent, changing voice.

"I'm through standing around!" Naruto declared furiously, his voice low with his anger as he ran towards the brothers.

She reacted at the same time as the Sannin, while he used some sort of jutsu, she tossed one of her chakra shuriken, with the plain one embedding in the wall, and the chakra-infused half seeming to nearly crumple as it approached her target.

_What_?

Chakra… aiming for his chakra. Did the sword dissipate chakra?

He turned furiously towards her, but was distracted as the wall slowly turned textured and red.

"Toad mouth jutsu," Jiraiya explained. "You've both beens wallowed by the mountain toad. Welcome to the belly of the beast! Be careful though, he has a sensitive stomach. Naruto, girl, stay still! Trust me."

Tenten straightened and watched as the two Akatsuki fled, with Jiraiya sending flesh after them as they lunged for an exit. They ran around a corner, and with an explosion, Tenten shot after them, Naruto on her heels, with Jiraiya leading the way. "They did it…" he muttered to himself. "The impossible."

"What is it?" Tenten asked, leaning towards the exit, covered in what looked like black fire.

"Stay away!" the Sannin ordered, and she and Naruto jumped back. He pulled out a scroll and wrote on it hastily, sealing away the black flames.

"Well… that takes care of that. Now, for you and Sasuke!" he said grandly, rounding on her. She stepped back, a little intimdated.

"Sensei, no!" she shouted, sensing the chakra approaching. But before she could stop it, Gai attacked, sending a wild kick into the Sage's face.


	4. Chapter 4

My apologies for such a short chapter. I hadn't realized the first three were so long, until I checked my total word count.

I have a good deal of this written out already, but if I continue to post 8k+ chapters, I'll run out of pre-written material fairly quickly.

Thank you to the reviewers, and to everyone who has followed/favorited this. Feedback is highly appreciated. This is my first Naruto fic, and I'm not the best at action-writing, but I am trying.

Enjoy. x.

* * *

"So, little missy, what's your name?" he peered down at her after 'taking care of business'.

Before she could properly introduce herself, Gai picked her up ceremoniously. "This is Uzumaki Tenten, my youthful kunoichi!"

"Well, Tenten, you should've realized that rushing into a battle without knowing the stakes or the enemy is an extreme—"

"I know the stakes and I know the enemy," she interrupted. "Kakashi told me."

At the name of his friend, Gai straightened. "That's also why I'm here, Jiraiya-sama. Kakashi… well… he was able to remain conscious for about an hour… but the state he's in now, he just slipped away."

"Amazing. He was probably able to remain conscious from sheer will-power," Jiraiya mused. "Though I'm not surprised, with his experience with the Sharingan and his general aptitude for ninjutsu and genjutsu."

Naruto looked concerned. "What happened to Kakashi-sensei?" he demanded. "Who were those guys! Aren't we gonna go after them?"

Tenten shook her head. She hadn't realized the extent of Kakashi's damage. Or perhaps she had underestimated the enemy. In her experience, with Gai leading the team, they had always been successful - and Lee's wholehearted trust in justice had rubbed off on her. No way could anyone beat the good guys! Especially not _Kakashi_. Her own hero-worship left much to be desired - he could never live up to her imagination of him, the mysterious teacher who offered advice and protected her otouto.

"We managed to keep him awake, but the second we weren't looking, he fell into the state. You _know_ what we need to do." Gai's tone was desperate. After Lee's injury, he likely felt the need to protect another shinobi whom he regarded so highly. Kakashi was his best friend, though the white-haired jounin would be loathe to admit it. She did not know much of their pasts, but she knew that a shinobi's path was treacherous, and littered with the bodies of loved ones.

"The woman you need… will be coming home soon." Jiraiya made the promise gently. Tenten scowled, Naruto's own expression matching it.

"Hey!" Naruto yelled indignantly. "Will someone clue me in-?" Tenten shot him a glare. "I mean... Can someone _please_ explain to me what's going on?"

Ignoring him, she turned to the white-haired man. "Is Naruto safe with you?" she asked the Sannin, grabbing his arm. His face was serious and he looked at her carefully.

"Much safer with me than anyone else," he told her gently.

"Then I guess all I need to know is who can help Kakashi?" she hesitated. She was desperately curious to know who this man was, and why he was willing to teach Naruto - obnoxious, and not very apt as a pupil. Though she was the first to see his good qualities, she also knew his faults.

"The woman who can save him is going to be coming home very soon." His expression told her that it was a promise.

"Sensei, I guess we should get going with Sasuke-san," she told him anxiously. "While we go, tell me about Kakashi."

Picking up the unconscious boy, Gai flung him over his back unceremoniously. "I guess this means, good luck!" he said, flashing a grin.

"Hey, won't somebody tell me what is going on?" Naruto shouted, stomping his foot angrily.

"I'll see you soon... I love you." she promised Naruto, leaping after Gai-sensei. The younger boy flushed, but did not deny his pleasure. He had made her swear to stop being such a protective older sister, but he was still insecure, and needed extra reassurance sometimes. Nobody knew that better than Tenten.

"Hey, so what happened with Kakashi?" she asked him anxiously, putting extra force into her leaps to keep up.

Gai's face was unusually somber. "The missing-nin used tsukuyomi on Kakashi. It's a jutsu that allows the user to trap the consciousness of another. Kakashi overestimated his Sharingan eye – he can't complete techniques like the Uchiha can."

"So?" she pressed him. "What's with this coma stuff?"

"Kakashi, due to his familiarity with the Sharingan, survived, and was able to remain conscious for a short time. Actually, the extent to which he did so is a medical miracle. But the second he stopped gripping his conscious… he fell into a coma of sorts. He's asleep and unresponsive." Gai's youth seemed to drain away from him for a second before he shot her a lopsided grin. "But have no fear, my youthful student! Kakashi will make it through fine! Especially when those two bring back Tsunade-sama!"

"Gai-sensei?"

"Yes, my youthful kunoichi?"

"Could you teach me to fight blindfolded?"

He began to tear up.

"Sensei, you still have Uchiha on your back," she pointed out before he crushed her in a hug, choking her.

"Yes, yes! I am so glad you are still coming to me for assistance my youthful student! I will teach you to fight without your senses – and then to hit your targets blindfolded!"

"To use bukijutsu while blindfolded?" she asked dubiously. "Are you sure?" More likely she'd lop off someone's finger. Though that wouldn't be too bad a thing in a fight with an enemy.

"If it can be dreamed, it can be done!" he cheered, heading full-speed back to the village.

Sighing, she chased after him, hardly able to keep up.

x

Weeks passed, and she trained nearly nonstop with Gai-sensei. She desperately wanted a break – but even more desperately, she wanted to be strong.

She'd found more, if classified, information of the Atkatsuki and their members. Their powers were legendary, and if she wanted to protect the people she loved – Naruto, Team Gai, all of Konoha – she had to be stronger. Tenten was clever - that was her greatest strength. She was no more naturally gifted than Naruto, but now that she knew she had a specific skill set, she was able to play it to her unique advantage.

So she had Gai train her with all the earnestness he had with Lee – but a different style. This wasn't about brute strength – this was about precision and chakra sensing, the latter of which Lee was hardly capable of. She wondered, belatedly, just why he was so dismal at anything to do with chakra. She thought they were a natural part of the body, like the vascular system. Perhaps it was a weakness, like an imbalance in his body. Though other weaknesses were easier to fix than the delicate chakra coils. A wrong move could kill him.

It was grueling, and even Gai's constant reassuring shouting couldn't keep her spirits up after a while. Once, after a particularly rough day, she ripped off the blindfold and sat there.

"What could be the matter, my youthful student?" he demanded, not even sweating.

What _wasn't_ wrong? Naruto was gone on some dumb mission with 'Ero-Sannin', Lee and Kakashi were in the hospital, her sleep patterns were worse than usual, and she'd hardly _seen_ Neji…

"I just wish I was making better progress on this jutsu," she grunted, leaning back into the itchy roughness of the grass. Why was it that in movies and novels, the stuff was supposed to be so comfortable? She could feel the roughness of each blade, and an ant crawled up her neck. Still, she was so exhausted that she ignored it.

"Why, Tenten! Your progress has been steady! Today, you realized each chakra signature feels differently. Yesterday you learned to focus on scent as well as your hearing! You're a close-contact tactile fighter with this jutsu – it's different from your usual distance combat! You can't fight with a tanto until you learn to defend yourself from my bare fists! After you learn to train with the tanto, you can start target practice!"

She only sighed.

Gai tossed her up and wrapped the blindfold around her head again. "Your training!" he commanded. "You can't take this off! Nope! Not in the shower, not while you sleep, not at all!"

She started to protested, but realized he had left. His chakra wasn't present, anymore. It was still there, like the remnants of cologne, but there weren't any fresh indications that would mean he was present.

Slowly making her way off the training field, she carefully listened to make sure nobody else was present – getting stuck in someone else's training session was not her idea of fun, especially blindfolded.

Eventually, she found herself on the main road, and wandered around, listening to the chattering, feeling the shade and the sunlight and she was doing well—

Until a hand groped at her.

Whoever did it must've not realized she was a ninja.

Focusing on the hand's trajectory, she quickly found the rest of the body and swung, her fist landing with a satisfying thud on the offender's nose. Moisture met her fingers and she ripped her hand away. "Who the hell are you?" she demanded.

"It was only me," growled Inuzuka Kiba. "I was being _generous_ and coming by to tell you that Naruto's back."

"What the hell was with the touchy-feely act then?" she wasn't going to let him off easily for that. She should've realized it – amongst the various scents of Konoha was the particular stench of _dog_… and it wasn't Akamaru.

"Why the hell are you wearin' that thing anyway, Tenten?" he asked obnoxiously.

"It's for my training. Where are we?"

"Right in front of the hospital, baka."

She scowled. "I'll hit you again."

His chakra dissipated a bit as he backed off. "Fine. Follow me."

Struggling to do just that, she avoided the civilians and medic-nin, trying to trace Kiba's scent. Eventually, she found what she believed to be Kakashi's room – and she was sure it was, until she heard a hard, unfamiliar voice.

"You didn't tell me it was _this_ bad. This boy will _never_ be a shinobi again. How _dare_ you? Giving him false hope like that!" The voice was cold and furious, and she shivered at the authority in it. Not even the Third had ever spoken like that.

"_Please_, Tsunade-sama," she heard the voice of Gai, breaking slightly with emotion. "There must be something you can do."

Something clicked within Tenten's mind, and she nearly fell to her knees. The Tsunade-sama? The Sannin Tsunade? Her _idol_?

"_Tch_. I can research methods, but there are no guarantees. And like as not, any remedy would kill him before it would make him a shinobi!"

"_Please_…"

Gai's begging was painful to listen to – and so was her diagnosis. Tenten gripped her chest and moved closer. She had to be lying. Lee… Lee who had been dubbed by Gai a _genius_ of hard work, who always tried so hard and did his best. Tears wet her blindfold, and she was glad that her eyes were covered. How could she say that about Lee? She didn't know him, or how brave he was, how strong and determined.

"There is one way. It's a surgery. But there's only a fifty percent chance he will even _live_, let alone fight again. Give me some time and I'll tell you what I find. But for now, just keep him active. Anyhow," her voice changed slightly. "Whose room is this?"

"Hatake Kakashi,"

"Is this the one who got hit by the Tsukuyomi?"

Tenten followed them blindly, guided by the vibrant chakra that suddenly appeared.

"You know, I'm disappointed in you," she clicked her teeth. "Falling prey like a little genin! You of all people should know better. Well, you'll be better now. And who are you?" her voice got louder as she turned towards Tenten.

"Ah, this is my youthful—" Gai began, voice once again cheerful and vibrant.

"Uzumaki Tenten," she interrupted him.

"Why are you wearing that? Have you been injured?"

"No, Tsunade-sama," she answered respectfully. "It's a training method. I want to be able to fight blindfolded."

"You know, Tenten," came the hoarse voice of Kakashi. "This is your chance."

"Hai," she acknowledged. She could feel Tsunade's interest rise – not because of her training, but because of the way she moved slightly closer.

Tsunade had been all she ever wanted to be for years. She tried so desperately to be just like this kunoichi, to be a replica of her, and now that her chance was here, she couldn't swallow. "I've admired you since I was a child," she began, and remembered what she said about Lee. "But I'm not important—just, Lee. What about Lee?"

The woman chuckled, and clicked over to Tenten. "I know you heard what I said. Tell me what you would've said to me before."

Cool hands held her chin gently, and a light perfume wafted over her. She wanted to breathe it in. Was that… did mothers feel like that? Tenten wanted to sway into her arms, but she held her ground.

"I've been developing a White Strength Seal for a year now," Tenten announced. Then she hesitated. Asking for help was difficult with strangers – it had been partially why she'd been so suspicious of Kakashi's unsought assistance. "But I have all the side effects. So I want to summon Katsuyu-sama and ask if she will help me."

The hands didn't leave her chin, and instead began stroking her forehead. "I can see your seal," Tsunade noted. "How's your sleeping patterns?"

"I don't really sleep." Tenten was slightly uncomfortable discussing this in front of Kakashi and Gai, but it didn't matter.

"Hm… How's your chakra control?"

"Not great, which I think is why it's affecting me so negatively."

"How much chakra have you been channeling into it every day?" Tsunade pressed her forehead softly.

"Uh." Tenten tried a sheepish laugh. "Well, however much it takes in a day—"

The soft hands abruptly left. "Do you mean to tell me you've been channeling nearly half your chakra reserves in there for a year? Are you an idiot?"

"What?"

"If you don't concentrate on the amount of chakra you want focused into the seal, it takes half your chakra off the bat, if not more! I thought it'd be taking maybe fifteen percent… it's a wonder you're not dead!" Disbelieving anger roiled off her in a pattern similar to chakra excess.

"Well—"

"You'll come back to the Hokage's place with me and we'll check you out," she said, grabbing Tenten by the ear and pulling her out of the room before she could even finish asking about Lee and Kakashi. "We'll just see if Katsuyu wants to be bound to an idiot like you."

x

"No wonder Naruto is your brother," Tsunade sighed, staring at Tenten's seal. "This is horrendous. There's an enormous amount of chakra in it, but it's horrendous. You said you're skilled in fuinjutsu right? That's how you managed to do this without dying. Your control is ridiculous, but on the bright side, this means you're starting out with an immense amount of chakra in the seal. How did you even learn about this technique?"

Tenten sat stiffly on the floor, with Tsunade sipping sake, interrogating her. The drink smelled like rubbing alcohol.

"Kakashi told me… I mean, Kakashi-sensei told me about it. When I first made genin, I wanted desperately to be like you. But I'm not very strong, and my chakra control isn't good enough to be a medic-nin, but I did memorize a lot of basic information." She tried to make it sound less humiliating than it had been, and make her hero-worship sound less… like hero-worship. "I turned out to be fast, though, and my bukijutsu is perfect, my fuinjutsu just as much. So I thought, if I tried the seal, I could be like you. And I thought I could summon Katsuyu, but…"

"Your first time summoning can be a little worrisome," Tsunade encouraged her. "But obviously your jutsu is impeccable. You're extremely proficient. You're alive, after all."

Tenten hesitated. "If I summon Katsuyu… what do I say to her?"

"If you're able to summon her at all, it will be enough. I'll put in a good word for you," she teased cheerfully, already a little tipsy. "But it's time for you to head home!"

Trying to make her way out without bumping into any of the shinobi running about, Tenten counted the steps.

One…

"What are you doing in my grandpa's office!" Konohamaru's sharp, loud voice was in her ear. Wincing she turned. "This is my grandfather's office, where are you putting all of his stuff?!"

"Kono—"

"Take that stupid thing off!" he shouted at her, moving away. "Hey, put that back!"

"Tsunade-baa-chan!" Naruto called gleefully from the distance, until he made it to the stop of the stairs. "Konohamar—"

"Shut up, _shut up_!" from the pattering of the stairs, she figured he was running away.

"Naruto, go get him!" she ordered.

"Why are you…"

"Naruto, he's your friend, go _get him_!"

Naruto beat after the younger boy, and she began again, carefully, focusing on nothing else. One… two…

"Tenten!"

"Neji!" she gasped, tripping over her own feet and landing flatfooted a few steps down. "You scared—"

"We need to visit Lee, now. Take off that ridiculous thing over your eyes."

She refused. "I'll follow you. Why are we going—"

Rudely, Neji grabbed her arm and silently leapt down the stairs, with her stumbling after him. "What—"

"Lee has a chance to become a shinobi again," he told her stopping. "But he was told that there's only a fifty percent—"

"They told him!?" Tenten demanded furiously. "They told him those stupid odds?"

"You know?"

"I was at the hospital, but I didn't realize…"

"Well," she could almost see Neji's grim expression. "Gai tried to console him. Tomorrow Tsunade-sama will begin researching methods to help him."

His grip tightened when she stumbled.

"Do you think…" she breathed, catching up to him as he stood stoically in front of her.

She felt him nod. "I believe so. But it is up to Lee."

"This could save him," Tenten caught her breath, trying to delay her excitement and worry. She wanted to cry, or throw up, or do anything but just stand around like a fool who could do nothing for her precious teammate.

Tenten had felt paralyzing fear before. Once, when Naruto had gone missing for three days, lost in the woods, swearing to cut down a tree with his chakra. That had been the worst - because it was agonizing as well.

Another time, when she had been training with Gai and tripped off the top of a tree, and thought she was going to die. He had caught her, but she had gone home after and cried in the bath, where Naruto could not hear.

And now.

Neji's response was more cynical: "Or it could kill him."

"What if he doesn't want to do it at all? These are high stakes," Tenten mused, her fingers trapped in his palm. She remembered tracing them and reading them aloud to him.

"I'm going to wait with him." Hesitation. "Will you wait with me… and Lee?"

At the admission, she realized just how new and fragile Neji felt. After years of warring his own clan, he was once again in the fold, and he was willing to admit his mistakes. But she also knew that Neji desired a peaceful state of mind – and between the revelation in his clan and this new discovery about Lee's recovery, he was as torn up as she was.

She understood not wanting to give into a perceived weakness.

"Of course, Neji," she consoled him. What she really wanted to tell him was '_I promise I'll be there, no matter what._' Whatever happened to him or Lee. "Come on, Lee's probably lonely. Unless that Sakura has been giving him flowers again."

Neji scoffed. "She's just yet another one of Uchiha's fangirls. But it's good to know she's treating my teammate as a human rather than—"

"A centipede brow?" Tenten quirked her lips. "Hey, come on, all girls fall for the dark, dreamy guy thing."

"Hn."

"You probably have a few of them yourself," she teased as he yanked her through the streets. "But you're even more intimidating than he is. Can you imagine Yamanaka Ino throwing herself at you?" she giggled at the image it conjured.

She felt him shudder.

"Even civvies think he's cute, but I think he terrifies them all – they're always speechless around him-"

"_That_ explains the dead silence wherever I go," he remarked thoughtfully.

She was silent for a moment. "Er, Neji—" She did not want to explain that he was more intimidating than 'cute'.

"A joke," he clarified awkwardly. "I meant it as a joke."

She yanked her hand back in her shock. The beginnings of a giggle made their way up her throat and she laughed, not so much at his joke, but at the thought of _Hyuuga Neji_ telling one. Finally taking off the blindfold, she looked at his embarrassed profile and laughed, hugging her stomach to stop the ache, until she had to sit.

"We're in public, Tenten," he rebuked her, and she only laughed more at his distress.

She stood, staggering, hiccoughing her amusement now. "You're so undignified," he told her deadpan, and she felt the lump in her throat.

Despite her vision being unobstructed, she took his hand again. It was… comforting to touch him. The contact reminded her of Lee's constant need for skinship. "We're gonna be ok-ay," she hiccoughed. "Right?"

His eyes were hooded. "Right," he answered with that Hyuuga confidence.

x

The pair sat in Lee's room all night, waiting while he slept, chatting with him while he ate. She kept her blindfold off around Lee - he could not train, and the reminder would depress nurses tried to kick them out, but Neji used a cloaking jutsu, and the two stayed all night and day. It was only when Gai came that they left, still together.

"You look like hell," Tenten pointed out with glee. It was true. Neji's usually flawless clothing and hair were knotted and crumpled, his usually pristine, expressionless face tired and wan, with shadows beneath his large eyes. She took more than a little satisfaction out of seeing him less than perfect. His own hair was nicer than hers, his manners, far better, and his elegance outmatched her precision, off and on any battle field.

"You look the same as you usually do," he offered awkwardly.

Swallowing another laugh, she glared at him in mock-offense. "You know, that's not really a compliment to a girl who's been awake all night."

Almost smiling, shook his head. Tenten was pleased. This new Neji was wonderful.

"Why don't you try getting some sleep now? The Hokage will likely have more information tonight."

"I'll come by the Hyuuga compound and pick you up tonight, okay?" she winked at him and walked away, yawning.

When she hit the pillow, she was already asleep – the first deep sleep she'd had since starting to channel her seal.

x

Tenten pulled on a fresh pair of clothes and brushed her teeth, popping the bones in her spine as she stretched. Naruto wasn't home – she thought she remembered something about a mission, but she had been so exhausted she had been more than half-asleep during her otouto's rushed explanation. She felt guilty - she hadn't been giving Naruto the attention he had always needed lately. But with her mind on Lee, she wandered over to the Hyuuga compound.

The enormous, gated complex was opened by chakra. Tenten knocked, and a stern Hyuuga member glared at her. "Who are you?"

"I'm here to see Neji," she said breezily. "We're going to see our teammate at the hospital."

Still not looking pleased, he opened the gate and allowed her entrance. She made her way down to where Neji slept, and knocked on the door.

It slid open almost immediately, and there he was, once again immaculate, his mirror-like eyes gentle and relaxed, his clothes clean, and his hair neat.

"You look perfect again," she snorted.

A lightning-quick smile flashed before being folded away into his usual blank, serene expression. "Shall we leave now?"

They ambled together, mostly staying quiet, but occasionally chatting. When they made it to the hospital, she bid him to go see Lee while she dropped in on Kakashi, who, of course, had tried to sneak out of the hospital again. Stifling her amusement, she went to Lee's room, hesitating before she opened the door.

Her cheerfulness was not like Gai's – she did not feel it to her bones. Youth did not enthrall her, and though outwardly, she felt fine, she was deeply distraught. There were several bad outcomes, and only one good one. Or, there was one bad outcome, several good ones, but only a single one Lee would accept. Life, death, and limbo. Or life, as a shinobi, or death, along with the death of a lifelong dream.

"Hey, Lee, Gai-sensei," she said cheerily, sliding the door open.

Both of their eyes were shining with tears. "I have decided to go through with this surgery, Tenten!" Lee raised a trembling hand to her. "If I cannot be a ninja, I do not want to live!"

"The power of youth shall prevail, Lee!" Gai cheered and his student offered the obligatory: "Yosh!"

Neji sat on the stool, watching warily, hoping none of the youth would direct itself towards him. Feeling a rush of fear, she crushed Lee in a hug. "Oh, _Lee_!" was all she said, holding him tightly.

"Do not be afraid, Tenten!" Lee struggled to make the typical pose with her arms around him. "Like Gai-sensei said!"

She pulled back and sat on the side of the bed, grinning. "Yeah, you're right."

"Hn."

"Neji, my eternal rival!" Lee let his eyes alight on Neji, who looked like a terrified rabbit. "Would you spar with me once this ordeal is through?"

Neji gave a long-suffering sigh, trying and failing to mask his relief and worry. "Yes, Lee. Of course I will."

They stayed a bit longer before leaving. She waved Neji away and went to go find Kakashi.

As usual, he stood, shoulders slumped, spine straight, with a hand running through his hair.

"What do you do when a comrade dies?" she asked him, standing shoulder-to-shoulder.

His gaze didn't ever leave the stone. "You should have more faith in Lee."

She took his hand and held it tightly. "Kakashi…"

"When did I allow you to stop calling me sensei?" he asked, but didn't remove his hand from her grasp.

"You really loved her?" Tenten asked suddenly.

Sighing, he looked down at her. "Love is a funny thing. I was young—"

"Kakashi…"

"I was young, and so was she. I think we ended up hurting someone very precious to us. She told me how she felt before I knew how I felt." The usually nonchalant, laid-back Kakashi was absent. "I suppose I loved her even more after she died – or acknowledged it to myself. The memory of her… losing her made me realize how much I valued her."

"Does it ever stop?" Tenten gazed at him intently, her eyes wide and expressive in a way she never voiced.

"It changes, after a while."

The stern gray of the stone was in direct contrast to Kakashi's deceptive relaxation. Brown met silver when she hugged him. It was impossible to tell who was more surprised.

"Tenten, you're—"

"A genin," she challenged. "Who says a genin and a jounin can't be friends? There are plenty of career genin."

After a while she released him with a half-hearted laugh. "I can't believe you didn't bother to change out of your hospital clothes."

He sent a glare spiraling at her, which she studiously ignored. She left him to his thoughts, and went to Neji's meditation spot. He wasn't there, but she sat down anyway, in the spot he usually claimed, wanting the stoic comfort of her teammate.

All ninja had to face death – but Lee had it staring at him ominously, a terrifying 'maybe' in front of a path that was only half a life to the boy who dreamed of being a splendid ninja.

x

Placing the scroll down in front of her, Neji nodding, she bit her thumb, drawing the rusty blood, and completed the hand signals, slamming her bleeding finger on the scroll. With a burst of smoke, a giant figure appeared before them – massive, easily as tall as Konoha's tallest building. Neji started at the slug, but Tenten was _delighted_.

The fact that she'd even been able to do it at all amazed her. At this point, she wasn't even concerned if Katsuyu rejected her.

"Where… why have you summoned me here, child?" the blue-and-white creature peered down at her, its mouth looking sunken but voice clear and soft.

Remembering her offensive reaction to Gai's turtle summons, she bowed. "Katsuyu-sama!" she addressed her. "My name is Uzumaki Tenten, and I am known to your mistress Tsunade!"

"She had mentioned me to you. You would like me to become your summons?"

Tenten hesitated. "I know it's vain of me to ask…" she twisted her hands. "But there is nothing I'd like more!"

"Why?"

"At first… because I wanted nothing more than to be like your mistress. Now, it's because I'm using the power of the White Strength Seal, and I can't do it without your assistance."

"Who is this?" she gestured to Neji, and Tenten bowed again hastily, nervous to offend.

"This is a teammate of mine, Hyuuga Neji. He came to help me in case I didn't do the jutsu correctly."

"And where is milady?"

"I don't really know," Tenten admitted with a smile.

"She has addressed me of this issue. After some thought…" Tenten waited with bated breath. "I have decided that I shall be a summons, and assist your Seal. Your connection with me should be enough to help control it."

"Oh… thank you!" Tenten cried, and the slug looked at her gently before disappearing.

She turned and looked at Neji. "I did it!"

He nodded at her, eyes gentle. But she didn't care for gentleness at the moment, and flung herself at him. "I did it!" she crowed.

"Uh, _yosh_?" Neji supplied with amusement. She grinned into his shoulder and released him, pumping a fist into the air.

Perhaps she would've wanted Naruto there - or Lee or Gai. But Neji was here, and he was proud of her, and she prized that.

"I can't believe this happened! I managed to summon her, and she _agreed_!" Tenten shouted the last bit, throwing back her shoulders in a movement uncomfortably reminiscent of Gai. "We have to go tell Lee!"

"He's in surgery right now. We can see him later. By the way, how did your training with Gai go?"

She sent him a mock-pout. "Fine, even though you promised to train with me and didn't."

"I was training with Hiashi-sama. Did you manage to hit your marks blindfolded?"

"Well, I'm still clumsy regular combat, but yup! One hundred marks, one hundred bullseyes!" she smiled, a genuine smile, which he returned with an ever-so-slightly quirked lip. "You didn't tell me you trained with your uncle!"

At her look of genuine delight, Neji relented. "Yes. Mostly because I wanted to give you your space with Gai."

"Clearly, that worked," she teased, as Gai hadn't left Lee's side in days.

"You're correct – we should go check on Lee." Neji changed the subject, and Tenten knew the source of his unusually – even for Neji – impassive demeanor.

x

They waited at the hospital for nearly two hours before a nurse was able to give them an update. Rock Lee was in critical condition – the surgery hadn't gone as smoothly as planned.

Tenten's stomach protested the news, and they waited with bated breaths for another three hours to find out that Rock Lee, Konoha's Green Beast, the Leaf's handsome devil, died from complications due to surgery.


	5. Chapter 5

She had never felt grief the way it hit her now. The loss of Rock Lee ultimately meant to loss of both he and Gai-sensei.

Neji had lost a loved one before – seemingly because of his clan. One like the Uchiha had lost an entire clan – because of a loved one. Konohamaru had lost nearly everything, and they'd all lose more in the future.

But the thought of Lee, brave, earnest Lee who lived by his ninja code so thoroughly and had _so_ admired his sensei – the only one who had ever given him more than a moment's notice – and desperately wanted to believe in second chances, had been stolen away from them. It was a fluke. There was no way this could happen.

When the news first reached them, Tenten had wept. On missions, she kept a lid on her emotions that was as tight as Lee's jumpsuit – and how it hurt to think that she'd never see him prancing in it again – but here, in real life, she didn't even think of it, let the tears dumbly drip down her face, too stunned

Once, she would've been embarrassed to cry in front of Neji. Now, her hand met his as he watched her, his gaze pained.

Normally, ninja deaths were shocks, were sudden, and they occurred during times that made mourning impossible, but they'd been anticipating this – her emotions had been teetering on the edge for weeks.

"We should leave," Neji murmured to her, and she nodded, though her shaking sobs hardly allowed her to stand.

He guided her with unpracticed, awkward gentleness and she followed, trying to contain herself. Before she knew it, they were standing at Neji's meditation peer and for the second time in a day, she flung herself on him. This time, though, wasn't a joyful hug, but an explosion of what could only be described as outright mourning.

This time, Neji was more lenient and allowed her tears to wet the high collar of his shirt, absent-mindedly patting her, his hand stiff and his back straight and shoulders stern.

She finished crying but did not withdraw. "Are you all right?" he asked her idly, seemingly lost in thought.

His voice was level, but she looked up at him. Seething, Hyuuga Neji was a sight to see. Holding in his sorrow, he was even more imposing. "Are _you_ all right?"

Leaning back, she rocked on her heels, not bothering to wipe the tear-tracks.

He simply gazed at her, opaque eyes staring deeply into hers. "I will be."

The admission likely took a lot out of him.

"Tell me what you're feeling," she commanded intently.

Looking uncomfortable, he searched for words, taking several moments at a time to choose what he wanted to say. "Uncomfortable. As if Team Gai will never truly be a team again. Guilty – I never gave him any particular warmth. Upset that such a thing should happen to _Lee_ of all people."

His posture had never been stiffer, and never before had he revealed so much. By anyone else's standard, it was nothing, but she whispered "_Thank you_," and he acknowledged it.

They sat in perfect, grieving accord and meditated – but neither of them could clear their mind of the wide, guileless smile of Rock Lee.

The next day they learned Maito Gai had attempted seppuku, and was only alive by the lucky appearance of Hatake Kakashi.

In the morning after that devastating blow, she was there before him.

The memorial site was empty at dawn, until Kakashi strode over easily, greeting Rin, then Tenten.

"How was he?" she blurted.

Kakashi sighed at the constant interruption of his time, but looked at her. "He's not taking it particularly well."

_It_. Lee's death was an _it_.

"Will he ever…"

"Gai always looks to the future. His memory is completely shot because he doesn't dwell on the past, even for a moment. The only reason he remembers he has a rivalry with me is because he keeps a notebook of his wins and losses. But this is different." He sighed, two fingers splayed against the name Nohara Rin. "I don't think Gai will ever get over this."

"Like, the way you aren't over Nohara-san's death, or as in the way Uchiha Sasuke isn't over his family's deaths?" she pressed tactlessly.

An ironic smile curved beneath the mask. "Only time can tell."

Lee's funeral was a quiet affair, with mostly shinobi in attendance. His mother was deeply grieved – he'd been from a small, civilian family who hadn't understood his struggles as a shinobi, but supported him, not for being a Green Beast, but for being Rock Lee.

All of the Rookie Nine was there, too, and Tenten felt pride for the genin who had been so likable and friendly. She stood with Naruto, who cried openly, face screwed up and ugly as he sobbed. Drawing strength from his unabashed grief, she held his hand and held in her own tears. They were not for this audience.

Even though Gai was conspicuously absent, his nonappearance was as loud as his presence would've been. And there was no time to be worried or to mourn properly, because nearly immediately after that, with no time to grieve, Uchiha Sasuke disappeared from the village.

Tenten worried so much for her otouto, and left him notes on his pillow and breakfast, cleaned his room of old ramen cups, put up pictures she'd begged Iruka-sensei for and found in the Sandaime's old stuff. When Naruto came to find her, courtesy of Izumo and Kotetsu, he cried easily, and for the first time in months, let her hold him as though he was still an insecure Academy student, and she his insecure, talentless sister.

x

Tenten and Neji were lounging by the front of the village when Naruto and Nara Shikamaru came skidding past, the Akimichi and Inzuka quick on their heels. They all looked bright eyed and excited, an innocent determination in their eyes, and she immediately was suspicious.

"Come on, Neji!" Naruto waved brightly and wildly. "Come down here!"

The pair quickly descended the stairs separating them, Tenten nearly landing on Naruto. "Come on, Neji," he pushed her off him.

"And where the hell do you think you're going?" she demanded of him, crossing her arms. "Don't keep me out of the loop now, kid."

Her warning fell on deaf ears. "We have to go now!"

"Then I'm coming, wherever."

The Nara spoke up. "No, you're not. Women are troublesome. Besides, Sakura-san already tried and it didn't work."

"What the hell is going on here?" she demanded exasperated, not even bothering to comment on his misogyny.

"The Uchiha left town last night. It's my job to lead this band of idiots and get him back," he groaned.

As the only chuunin in their generation so far, Shikamaru was the leader. If he'd recruited a five man platoon, this was desperate.

She glared at him. "Then if you want something besides a half-assed squad of genin, bring me along."

Neji seemed to be slightly miffed at the insinuation that he was a part of the 'band of idiots' but didn't comment.

Haruno was standing at the gate, fighting back tears. Feeling a pang of sympathy, Tenten squeezed her shoulder comfortingly while she glared at Shikamaru.

"Listen. The only thing I know about you is you lost your match in the chuunin exams, and that you're as pushy as Naruto. We don't need two Narutos." He turned to Sakura, but his gruff voice was gentler now. "Even you couldn't bring him back, right? A woman's touch isn't gonna do it. We'll bring him back."

"Like I've ever had a 'woman's touch' in my _jutsu_-" she began to argue.

"Time to go!" Naruto shouted, stepping forward and interrupting her. Tenten wanted to punch him, but part of her understood. If this were Lee, she and Neji would've been gone already.

"Hey, Naruto, as troublesome as it is…" Shikamaru sighed at having to clarify. "I'm the leader here, so take it easy."

Naruto shot him a disillusioned expression. "Why are you the leader? You're not the most reliable guy in the world. Actually, you're kind of lazy."

Inuzuka growled. "Stop actin' like you're in charge here. It grinds me up to take orders from that lazy guy too, but come on."

Shaking his head defensively, Chouji glared at them seriously. "But none of you can decide that today. Shikamaru is the only chuunin, which means he's the only one who has been deemed good enough to advance to the next ninja rank by the elders. Clearly the Hokage thinks he has what it takes to call the shots here."

Tenten opened her mouth to demand her inclusion again, but Neji spoke first. "Well, perhaps you should begin formulating a plan. If Sasuke has gone to the enemy, then this will be quite a dangerous mission, particularly for genin."

The four shinobi, including Neji, turned to listen to Shikamaru's orders.

"Okay, guys. This is rescue, so we'll be in a pursuit formation first and foremost. Our enemy has the advantage of knowing we're coming, so we need to be in a formation that can easily receive formation is simple: single file strike formation. Kiba will head the front with Akamaru, directly in front of me, so I can easily give orders, and you can track. You're also the most familiar with the terrain. Then there's me, so I can direct everyone and receive information from Kiba. Naruto is the middle, because of his style, he can be the cornerstone. He's capable of attacks from any direction, which is useful.

"Chouji, you're the slowest, but also the most physically powerful. You'll be the second wave of our assault. You're on the end Neji – rear lookout. Now, show me what ninja tools you plan on using – not you, Tenten.

"If nobody has anything to add, I'll just say this. I can't stand Uchiha. But with that being said, he's a shinobi of Konoha, which means I'll die to get him back on this mission. I'm responsible for your lives and for Sasuke. Follow my orders, and we'll live."

"Let's mov—"

"Wait!" Sakura bit out.

"Sorry, Sakura, but you're not coming. You tried and failed. Our only option is force. I'm sorry, but you can't do anything else."

Shikamaru's cold prognosis told all of them that she was not strong enough, that she was not good enough, and that she was not a true shinobi. It hurt Tenten just to hear - but though she liked the girl's spirit, nothing about her even whispered of skill.

Tenten continued to lay a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder as she trembled. "Please, Naruto… only you… can bring him back," she wept, and Tenten was poignantly reminded of Lee's death, just a few days ago…

"Bring him back to me, Naruto…" she begged desperately. "You're the only one who can."

The question probably struck Naruto through the heart and she ached for her little boy who met her gaze for a moment

Tenten watched her otouto nod seriously before sprouting a stupid grin and a pose frighteningly similar to the 'Nice Guy'. "Hey, Sakura, of course I will!"

The group prepared to leave, and Tenten wanted to argue again, but Shikamaru looked back at her with a groan. "Tenten… if you're really set on coming, give us a half an hour before setting out. If you can sense us, you're welcome to meet up. We could probably use backup in this."

She watched them leave, Sakura by her side. For some reason, the girl seemed strangely small, though she was the same size as Tenten. There was a certain fragility around her that made Tenten wonder – was that what Lee had seen in her? Something to protect? Someone who needed him?

"If you go," she said so quietly Tenten thought she imagined it. "I'm coming with you."

Tenten gazed at her appraisingly, forcing herself to be cold. "Your skills as a shinobi aren't the best. Why should I?"

"Because I want to help in any way I can."

It hit her, why the girl was so distressed that she'd send Naruto out into danger – she was in love with the Uchiha. Tenten wanted to wrap her in a hug the way she'd done with Naruto. This was a terrible time for all of them.

"What can you do?"

"I can release any genjutsu. I don't waste my chakra. I'm not the most useful in battle…" she looked unsure. Tenten took pity on her.

"You can come… watch my back?" she offered her.

The girl's eyes lit up, but then dimmed again. "Shikamaru purposefully told me I can't do anything, and he's team captain."

"You'll be one of my ninja tools," Tenten decided. "My genjutsu isn't great."

A small smile broke across the girl's wet cheeks, and Tenten felt satisfied. If Lee had liked this girl, there had to be some redeeming qualities in her. After all, she'd defended Lee after Naruto's thoughtless comment in the Forest of Death.

Tenten bid her to follow and led the way back home, slightly embarrassed by the mess Naruto had left behind. She quickly changed, killing time, and prepared her scrolls. Sakura took a leaf from her book and tied back her shorn hair.

"Your hair is a mess," Tenten pointed out.

"It happened in the Forest…" she said vaguely. It must've happened before she and Neji had reached them. Tenten nodded.

"Has anyone cut your hair since then?"

She blushed. "Ninja… I mean, I was always so worried about how I looked, and now…"

Tenten led the way back to the gates, looking at her levelly. "There's nothing wrong with caring about how you look. Just don't let it get in the way of your training."

Biting her lip, Sakura admitted tearfully: "I was far more concerned with impressing Sasuke than my sensei."

Tenten smirked. Kakashi certainly did have his hands full.

"So… you're Naruto's sister?"

Tenten nodded, counting down minutes. Shikamaru said half an hour, and she'd leave on the dot.

"Has he ever…" the girl seemed to be measuring her words. "What's it like, watching him fight, as his sister?"

Tenten blew a sigh. "It used to be like watching your otouto throwing himself into danger. Now, it's more like watching a capable teammate complete a mission." She said it plainly. "After he beat Neji… I guess I kind of realized that he was right, and I couldn't hold him back, as a sister or a comrade. And then I found out about that battle with Gaara… There's certainly a lot of tension on your team."

"I'm sorry… about Lee."

Tenten lit out precisely half an hour after Shikamaru granted her permission. It was time to focus – not time to cry. She did not acknowledge or thank Sakura, who at this moment understood more than anyone what it was like to lose a teammate.

What if Lee was leaving now? she wondered. Lee was devoted to Konoha. She couldn't even imagine him considering it.

Granted, though, Sakura likely couldn't imagine Uchiha succumbing to death.

She thought those things impartially. All she could think of now was sensing Neji's chakra – Naruto's still eluded her despite Gai-sensei's training. It was likely because she spent more time around the Hyuuga than her young cousin, or it might be because Neji's kekkei genkai allowed for easier tracking – when he permitted it.

The two travelled silently, Sakura struggling to keep up with Tenten, who forgot to notice the younger girl.

_Neji_, she thought. _Naruto_.

Now that she was included, and well on her way, she realized the danger. If Sasuke left to gain power from the enemy, then he was well protected. Orochimaru had killed the Third, and if he wanted Sasuke, then it wouldn't be a simple retrieval.

Tenten stopped suddenly, allowing Sakura to catch her breath.

"I can sense Neji," she hissed. "If he departed half an hour before we did, and we've already caught up, it means Neji and maybe more of them are engaged. Can you sense chakra?"

Wide-eyes peered at her before concentrating. "I'm getting a sense of the enemy's chakra, but not Naruto's, or Shikamaru's."

Quickly, Tenten reasoned aloud: "Neji's no first resort, and his Byakugan made him useful. Which means there are likely one or more Leaf nin behind us – who or where, Kami knows." She concentrated, trying to think why Neji would be alone. "Likely, they had to split, which means there are at least three enemies – if there's one comrade behind us, Neji here, and one or more heading out. So that's a minimum of three and a maximum of… Kami knows that too." She sighed, and Sakura's analytical mind kicked it.

"These won't be simple genin, either." The girl added harshly. "They'll likely have Orochimaru's cursed seals."

"Cursed seals?" Tenten didn't have time for her question to be answered, because Sakura suddenly crept forward.

"Both chakra signatures are getting fainter. I don't know if that means they're leaving or dying." Sakura frowned.

Acting before she could think, Tenten flung herself from branch to branch. _Neji_, she thought worriedly.

He was ahead of her, turned so she could see his injured profile. He was bleeding profusely from several places in his back, and from her distance, she couldn't see how deep they were, but she could tell it was dangerous to keep him here much longer. Her ears pricked as she heard the distinctive sound of wire and chakra, and before she could even think, she flung a led shuriken, knocking the heavy arrow away from Neji, albeit only slightly. Her weapons couldn't _compare_ to whatever the hell that thing was – but it could deflect it slightly, which was all she could hope to do in this situation.

Neji staggered, and she crept forward, Sakura next to her. But before she could swoop in, he grabbed hold of the wire that seemed to be biting into his side and his chakra signature became instantly detectable. She heard a cry and a thud, but before they could broach Neji, his enemy lay on the ground – a spiderlike man who stared at Neji in horror before collapsing.

Her teammate collapsed too, and Tenten rushed, ripping open his stupid, high-collared shirt to check his wounds.

"This is bad," she sucked in a breath. Rounding on Sakura, she looked at her squarely. "Neji needs to be brought back to the village now. He's lost a lot of blood, and even though it only nicked his side, this wound is deep – scary deep. You're gonna carry him home and tell Kakashi-sensei to round up medic-nin, ANBU, anyone." Dumping the immobile Neji into the smaller girl's struggling arms, Tenten glared. "If you drop him, I'll kill you. Now go, as fast as you _possibly_ can!"

Sakura nodded, a little frightened by Tenten's ferocity, but she didn't have time to console to frightened girl. She leapt away, focusing as hard as she possibly could on Naruto's chakra. Damn them for leaving Neji behind. Damn them for letting him get injured, and _damn_ them for not leading her to Naruto.

She leapt as fast as she could, hoping that the younger girl could handle the task. Suddenly glad that both of them had insisted on coming, she used all of her strength to propel herself forward. It felt as if she'd never find them when she felt Naruto's chakra – only faintly, but she followed it desperately. If _Neji_ could get hurt like that…

"Naruto!" she shouted, skidding towards him. Three hundred meters away? She ran desperately, until she saw him, mostly in top shape, unharmed – but facing someone. There was no one else.

They'd left _Naruto_ to chase after the Uchiha?

"Tenten-nee-chan!" Naruto growled. "Help me out here!"

She studied his enemy – white hair, tall, statuesque and handsome. Her appraisal was cut short when the man lunged, quickly and stealthily, launching a white spear towards them.

"Die," the man commanded.

Tenten acted – she didn't even have time to release any of her signature jutsu – she moved, quickly and dispassionately, sending a kick that would've done Lee proud. Her taijutsu had always been impressive.

Jumping backwards to avoid her, he grimaced. "Who are you?"

"Your opponent," she answered, reaching for her scroll, trying to disguise the effort that had taken. Her speed was excellent – but the power of the kick hitting such a dense surface had left her hip in severe pain. "Naruto, whatever you have to do… go."

She didn't feel him hesitate – right now, she was onee-san, and he obeyed without question. "Be careful," was all he grunted, leaping away without the loping grace of a shinobi, but the rough, forceful run of a man with not a thing to lose.

Studying more closely, she watched her opponent warily, realizing with a sinking heart that his jutsu, albeit different, was fundamentally bukijutsu. What was his range?

"These are my bones," the man held his spear forward, as if a child at show-and-tell. "I'll use them to make sure he cannot leave."

Before he moved, Tenten attacked, sending a shuriken by his ear. "No!" she narrowed her eyes. "I'm your opponent, not him. Keep the kid out of this." She had learned that emotional ties were used as weapons in battle. Here, now, she did not know Naruto, did not care about him. There was only her and this strange man with his creepy kekkei genkai.

He easily dodged her weapon, jumping back, until the second half of it nicked him. Glancing at her in calm surprise, she nodded, trying not to be smug. If Neji could get himself killed here, then she hardly had a chance…

But the image of Naruto in the distance strengthened her resolve. Squaring her shoulders, she selected a forked spear, the stem made of steel, the tip of poison-dipped iron. This was a weapon designed solely to kill – stab, bludgeon, or poison. She'd wheedled it from Io, weeks after her mission to his workshop. The inventor eventually handed her one of his less complicated weapons, trying to placate her. It had worked.

Unlike the immobile weight of the Jidanda, she could easily lift this one. The weight of it felt good on her biceps, and moving into the stance for a charge, she looked at him. The man stood easily, a slight cut on his cheek, and waited for her to move. He had utmost confidence in himself – it didn't even occur to him that she would be a challenge.

Remembering her easy defeat from Temari, she winced. He was far above her level. But she told herself it was the technique, not the ninja. Perhaps determination would win out over sheer prowess.

She did not throw the spear – instead, she turned it, so that the sharp edge along the side was visible. Bludgeoning and slicing at the same time – it was messy, but Tenten knew that brutality was the only thing that might keep her alive. The precision she could use, combined with the power of the steel, would more than make up for her lack of strength.

Moving as quickly as she possibly could, she tested her weapon, using it as a barrier between them rather than a sword. The metal clanged against his shin bone, but as she quickly got out of the way, the broken bone easily reconstructed itself.

Tenten swallowed. "This is my bone," he'd said. She had absolutely zero chance against him.

She'd remembered the few times she'd ever defeated Neji – as embarrassing as it was, she could count the positive encounters on a single hand. All of those victories had been because of her cleverness, not any lack of skill on his part, or particular prowess on hers.

"That is an interesting weapon," he complimented her, approaching slowly. His aura wasn't as menacing as much as sure – he was a monster, in no hurry to destroy his prey because of his easy confidence and certainty. "However, it cannot best my body. My own body is my weapon – while yours are second nature, mine are part and parcel of who I am."

She didn't respond, so he continued, gently: "If you like, I will kill you as painlessly as possible. Surrender, and you shall die easily."

His arrogance blew her away. Abruptly forced out of her shinobi state of mind, she goggled at him. "Of course I'd die easily! And if you're alive, how the hell would you know if death is painless?" she demanded, beginning to rave. "Do you think you can threaten my comrades and then offer to kill me without me getting mad? Are you _for real_?" He sighed at her insolence, which only sent her further away from her fear and into her irritation. "And what the hell is with you using bones as weapons anyway? Bones can break! I suppose you heal it with chakra, but you can't tell me that hit didn't hurt even a little! Of all the materials to possibly develop jutsu on, you had to pick your own bones?"

She stopped to consider her own words, in all fairness as a fellow weapons user. "Well, I suppose it means you're constantly prepared for battle, which can be useful, but—"

She was cut off from her ramblings by his spear whizzing past her neck. Either his aim wasn't as good as hers, or he was just trying to shut her up. Was this what it felt like to be Naruto?

Glaring, she eyed him. "I'm a bukijutsu user too, and if you plan to finish me off with a single spear, I don't know if I should be offended or amused."

Bland conversation really wasn't her forte. It made her sound as obnoxious as Neji or as idiotic as Naruto – or both. She couldn't quite decide. But her panic dissipated the more she blathered, so she kept on, almost keeping a one-sided conversation with him.

Analyzing the situation, she realized that, at least while he was underestimating her, close-combat would be the better decision, because she'd be able to hide the majority of her techniques while giving her the advantage of being more likely to hit a blow that would disable him. She might even be able to stay relatively unharmed. Evasion, as a long-distance fighter, was an invaluable skill she'd honed to a high level a long time ago. However, keeping her distance, while stretching the fight out longer, would give her a distinct advantage – in addition to giving her the disadvantage of chakra exhaustion. His reserves were probably far deeper than his if he was skilled enough to use his _bones_ as a weapon.

She'd begin the battle in short-range, she decided, until they felt each other out. Then, before he managed to actually kill her, she'd back away and use one of her many methods to rip him into pieces.

They stood, nearly a foot apart, and he calmly reached to stab her. Digging the spear into the earth, she used it as a vault and swung at him, propelling herself at him, and using her chakra to hold herself on his chest – like that stupid – no, not stupid, wonderful, life-saving – tree climbing exercise that Neji had completed easily, Lee couldn't complete at all, and had taken her two days to master.

Ripping her spear from the earth, she flipped it quickly and used it to stab him in the stomach – but inches before his navel was split in half, his spear misdirected it and losing her balance, Tenten used him as a springboard and jumped back, holding the cold metal that was nearly six feet long at its edge, forcing it at him. He blocked it with an arm that bloodied only a little – he was clever enough to use his sword hand, which she hadn't expected, saving him from the worst of the spear's length, and aimed his own weapon at her temple.

Struggling to hide her heavy breathing, Tenten wondered if she was going to die. There was no way she could defeat him. Sakura had promised to bring back medic-nin – but could the medical corps defeat an enemy like him?

She prepared another attack, but before she became mobile, a strange symbol that she hadn't had the time to notice moved, expanding. Tenten blanched. What the hell was that?

"I supposed that I would not need this… but you're quick." He sighed as if the moving figures on his chest were mere inconveniences.

"What the hell?" was all she choked out before the muscles and bones of his body contorted. It was a little disgusting to watch.

"This is the gift Orochimaru gave me," he said. "This is the gift of his seal. This is what the Uchiha will gain when he reaches the second stage."

That moving tattoo… Uchiha Sasuke had one? How? What the hell had Team Kakashi gotten themselves into? Her fists clenched.

Word of the Uchiha slaughter had made it to Tenten's ears, of course. It was hard not to know when the entire police force was murdered in a night. She'd heard his claims of revenge, too.

That power in the forest… had that been the power of the seal? How had Orochimaru made it into the Forest of Death? Why did he even want Uchiha Sasuke? She was fair – he was skilled, and because of his almost noble birth, destined to only grow greater. But he was a genin still.

Or perhaps that's what he wanted. A child to mold into what he wanted. But… why? What was happening that she didn't know about, damn it! And why did Naruto-baka know these things?

"The gift only strengthens my kekkei genkai," he stared at her, his already blank stare slowly losing its humanity. "As it will for his new servant."

His… Orochimaru? Her curiosity raged and she wanted to run, as fast as she could, and yank Naruto back into the safe confines of their little apartment, a bowl of ramen in his lap, begging her to let him try her headband and making excuses for another prank and attempting to transform into the Sandaime or into Iruka-sensei or Gai, who'd he'd only met once and thought was the weirdest person on the planet.

Feinting as if she'd move to hit him, Tenten leapt over his head, into a better lighting. He shot out what appeared to be, and probably was, pieces of bone marrow, one nicking her across the chin, right next to her mouth. It stung more than it hurt, but what was truly debilitating was the knowledge that he could easily kill her. She'd walked into a death trap, fired up by Nara's words and the sight of her teammate and Naruto, one half-dead and the other seconds from the same state.

"My kekkei genkai allows me to freely control both my bone forming and reabsorbing cells," he explained casually, as if she were a friend. "With my chakra, I control the density of calcium and the ability to reshape my bones."

Tenten sucked in a breath. It was obvious, but hearing him explain it made her feel so weak, as if she were a little girl fighting Neji for the first time. She couldn't simply break his bones and leave him – and his bones were a protective shield, so hitting him with anything else would be about as useless.

Bones could be hard and brittle – but he could reform them. They could also be soft and crushable – but he could _reform them_. So Tenten switched her objective from _defeat him_ to _distract him as long as possible and get the hell out of here_ as well as _don't die_.

Tenten stuck the spear into the earth and pulled out a scroll, testing. Senbons flew at him – unpoisoned, guileless, simple senbons – and to her amazement, several hit him – only to be plucked like a nuisance.

"I don't think your death shall be painless after all," he opined, starting after her. Staring at him, she backed away. Unconsciously, she touched her forehead – but she wouldn't give in. She couldn't use it now, not after such a stupid, useless battle!

Tenten readied herself and pulled out a pair of nunchucks, exactly the way Gai taught her, wielding them carefully. What she wouldn't give for the Jidanda…

Worrying her lip between her teeth, she decided to give up strategy while in direct attack. She'd only frighten herself.

She knew her technique was flawed slightly, but when a piece of his bone embedded itself in her calf, she cried out, managing to fling herself away clumsily before hitting the ground, hard. He strode over casually, and Tenten began to move, blood dripping from the gash in her calf that Kami had seen the grace to keep from smashing her leg into pieces.

Pulling out a sword next, she glared at him. How much time had actually elapsed? Had it been three minutes or hours? This battle was slow and deliberate, but…

"Gentle fist!"

Tenten recognized the technique immediately, and he disappeared, a shadow forming over Tenten's eyes. Blinking madly, she looked up. She recognized the technique, but Neji was…

"Are you all right… Tenten-san?"

The anxious shyness was impossible not to recognize. "Hyuuga… Hinata?" she demanded incredulously. "What on earth…"

"I came to protect Naruto-kun," she replied stoutly, her hands trembling despite the blow she'd just given Tenten's combatant. "After I saw what happened to Neji-onii-san…" she trailed off quietly, her voice hardly audible. "Myself, and Ino-san, and Shino-kun…"

The brief, ungrateful regret that passed through Tenten's mind at not being given protection by the Aburame was quashed. Hinata was a Hyuuga, and even if she wasn't Neji, a Byakugan was an indispensable skill.

But Hyuuga _Hinata_… was she capable of this?

Their foe stood, dusting off.

Hinata moved into a more comfortable pose before launching herself forward with a grace that would've done Gai proud. Standing quickly and ignoring the shooting pain up her leg, Tenten held her blade defensively.

If those three were here, it meant that all capable members of the Rookie Nine were risking their asses to save the ungrateful scum that was Uchiha Sasuke. Her blood boiled as Hinata cried out.

"Stop, Hinata-chan!" she shouted desperately. "Your heart…"

Panting and sweating, the two fighters split apart for a moment, with Hinata wiping the blood that pooled above her brows.

"I saw Neji-onii-san," Hinata's gaze never alighted on Tenten. "Sakura-chan told me… that it was because of you that he… and I remember how you helped him…" Her voice seemed stronger, somehow, less shaky and retiring as she stared into the red-rimmed eyes of their opponent. Even as she trailed off, her thoughts incomplete, she seemed surer.

Tenten hadn't the faintest of clues what the second one was referring to. The time she'd helped rescue her? She hadn't even really been aware that it was _Hinata_ in _danger_ as much as she'd acknowledged Neji's driving need to protect his clan – and _her_ desire to not let that idiot throw himself into enemy hands.

"You protected him… and… Naruto… kun," her falsetto voice grew fainter. "So…" then, suddenly gaining strength. "I will protect you!"

She didn't have time to analyze that statement before she staggered – and a quick gaze at her leg told her that she was losing more blood than she could stand.

"He's a close range fighter!" she warned Hinata, another close-range. She nodded, and Tenten struggled to remain standing – not so much from exhaustion or her injury, as much as the dizzying loss of blood as it dripped red and warm into the lush grass.

She blinked – and the battle was in full force, taijutsu and kekkei genkai fully realized in this fight. Tenten's heart sunk at how pitiful an opponent she was, compared to _Hyuuga Hinata_, who blushed incessantly and didn't know the meaning of the word impolite.

"You will fail," the enemy told her. "By my hand, you will die."

"Aren't you going to offer her a painless death?" Tenten demanded. His eyes alighted on her.

"We have yet to complete our battle. After I defeat this child—"

"No!" Hinata's voice broke out. "I won't lose to you."

Tenten recalled similar words being said in her battle with Neji, but all the same, Hinata's rescue was timely and… completely uncalled for. She hadn't been assigned any mission, as far as Tenten knew, and her words: "I will protect Tenten-san!" sent a thrill through Tenten's blood. She was getting fired up by those declarations – Tenten was itching to join her and rip apart the stupid shinobi before them who dared threaten her friends.

The explosion of bone and Kami-knew-what startled her. She hadn't even seen either of them poise for attack.

If Neji was a genius, Hinata's mastery of the jutsu were somewhat less… _masterful_. But watching the timid girl slam a lethal palm into the much wider chest of the white-haired nin, Tenten knew this was not her time to interfere. This was not a battle of skill, but a show on both parts.

Biting her lip hard enough to draw blood at the muscle spasms that shook her legs, Tenten watched as bones rained on Hinata, who quickly disabled him – only to watch in amazement as the broken bones healed themselves despite the chakra points she blocked.

He frowned at Hinata before exhaling as he had done with Tenten. "I suppose…" he mused aloud.

Tenten was immediately suspicious. "Hinata, get out of there!" she shrieked madly, running towards the younger girl, ignoring the debilitating pain that was beginning to shoot through her entire body.

Neji would kill her if she let this girl die.

Naruto would probably kill her again.

Catching her cast-away spear in a firm grip, she grabbed a firm arm around Hinata's neck, blocking her partially from the barrage that was sure to come within seconds, yanking the girl back while simultaneously pushing away from the evolving monster, jumping back, and crying out as the predicted attack came, stabbing through her side with an agonizing pain.

Tenten counted the seconds it took for the pain to flame up as the ribs on the right side of her body were crushed.

One again, she flew – but this time, she landed in something soft – but with the foul scent of blood and dirt and… _sand_?

Before she fell under the spell her body wove, Tenten looked up, blood roiling with murderous thoughts when her eyes met the dull ones that could only belong to Gaara of the Sand…


	6. Chapter 6

"It's about time you came around!" came the incessantly cheerful voice that Tenten knew could only belong to a nurse at the Konoha hospital.

"_Wh_…" she grunted, her throat unable to make sound. She didn't want to peel her eyes open. Everything about her felt dry and crusty. Except for her hair. The usually neat locks felt damp and greasy

"Yeah, Tenten!" Naruto crowed at her. Her eyes flew open, meeting the blinding white of the hospital walls, and leaving the glue that held her eyes together at the corners.

"Naruto!" she tried to shout. Though it only came out as a whisper, his eyes lost some of their mischief and he looked at her soberly.

"Sasuke's gone," he told her sadly. Groaning, she gestured for him to continue. Naruto was one person she could rely on for a full story. And a skit to go along with it. And sound effects.

Immediately perking up, he explained how they'd been trapped in some sort of chakra cave, until Akimichi Chouji had saved the day and been left behind to distract one member of what was called the _Sound Four_. She got a full play-by-play of Neji and Inuzuka graciously and not-quite-as-graciously sacrificing themselves, as well as Nara, whose reluctance she could sense from days and miles away.

He explained his battle with Uchiha, and more about the seal – Orochimaru wanted Sasuke, and Sasuke wanted to kill his brother.

Then he explained how Ino had showed up to save Shikamaru, who had kept his mouth shut about the entire affair – and how Shino had rescued Kiba, and filled in the blanks of Gaara's appearance.

"So, there's an alliance with Sunagakure now!" Naruto's face was simple, unlined. "I told Hinata-chan she shouldn't have bothered, since I figured you would've had it all under control, but she said the only reason either of you were alive was because Gaara showed up! Even Ino-chan was in trouble! Shino had it all under control, but hey, the only guy creepier than him is Kankuro!"

"So," her throat tried to function. "Gaara…"

"And Kankuro and Temari-san saved the day!"

Temari. She winced at the reminder. He saw her face and immediately understood why. As a ninja, he was a wild, unpredictable idiot. As her brother, he cared about her deeply and noticed. They had always been together. He could always read her. His hand reached for her – small and stubby and strong – far stronger than it had been. His nails were short and covered in dirt. Naruto, her reason for being a ninja – her burning desire to protect him launched her into her desire to be a legend, to be just like Tsunade. Surely if she were that strong, everyone she loved could be safe.

Naruto, whom she'd die for.

Gaara, who'd killed Lee.

Temari, who had shamed her.

Just like the brief ingratitude she'd experienced with Hinata's rescue, she wondered why Kankuro couldn't have come to save them. But with an effort, she shook the thought away. She wished she could be as earnest and kind and grateful as Naruto. Though, his alienation had been firmer than hers. He had a reason to be so open and receptive to the acceptance that had never before come this readily.

"So, Hinata's fine! She mostly had cuts and bruises and stuff! But you got really beat up," he chuckled boyishly at her as she ripped off the blankets. "You got stitches on your face… bet that's gonna be ugly, huh, onee-chan? And all your ribs were broken on the left – Hinata-chan was here all day yesterday, she was so upset that you got hurt, she said something about it being her fault or something stupid… anyway, and your leg had a huge gash! The medics had to do some crazy jutsu to save the muscle."

"And what about you?" she drank in Naruto's sporadic movements. He was alive and safe and Kami, she was so happy to see him. He had been here while she slept. She felt tears wet her dry eyes. "Come on, and Nara, and Inuzuka…"

His face sobered, turning slightly troubled. "Chouji and Neji were in really bad shape," he admitted. Then he smirked again. "Neji said something about you and Sakura-chan, huh! Sakura-chan carried him all the way back to the village – I didn't know she was that strong, and boy good thing she got him back so fast! He had a big hole in his side! But he came by and said that you protected his blind spot or something again, whatever that means. Anyway, I've gotta go! Tsunade-baa-chan says she wants to talk to me after I checked in here. See you later, dattebayo!"

She tried to call after him, and when he didn't return her weak shouts, she slumped against the pillow.

"How damn long am I gonna be stuck here!" she grunted at him, not really expecting an answer.

The door slid open, and Tenten cringed, expecting a reproving nurse. Instead, Hinata walked in.

"Hinata-chan?" she asked, surprised. "What are you doing here? Hey, are you okay?"

The girl's walk was shuffling and her eyes were focused on the floor. "Hai, Tenten-san—" she began, but Tenten cut her off.

"Drop the –san, okay?" she grinned, thought it was an effort. Her limbs all felt woozy. She must be on some kind of strong medicine to feel so strangely light.

"Tenten…chan?" Hinata offered shyly.

Accepting it, she nodded at Hinata to sit beside her. "So, what brings you here?"

"Well, after Chouji-san and Neji-onii-san were both released, I—"

"You mean I'm the last one in the hospital?" she demanded in disbelief, interrupting Hinata, who burned crimson. "Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt," she apologized gently. "It's a bad habit you pick up when you're related to Naruto-baka. I try to be more polite than him but he has a way of getting under your skin, doesn't he?"

Hinata both giggled and seemed to reject the words. "No, Naruto-kun is—" she blushed again, and Tenten took pity on her.

"So, how long has it been?" she grouched, trying and failing to cross her arms.

"Well, about ten days—"

Tenten only contained her fury because Hinata looked so terrified of her possible outburst. "Ten… days?" she asked weakly. Then her eyes narrowed. "How long was Neji here?"

"Only about five… before returning home to recover..."

Groaning, Tenten leaned back, arms crossed.

"Are you… all right?"

"He beats me at _everything_," she mumbled, ashamed at her own petulance.

Hinata leaned forward earnestly. "No, Tenten-chan, that's why I came to see you!" she slowly began to purple and her voice reached a higher pitch. "I wanted to protect you… because of what you've done for me, and even when I tried to protect you, I still couldn't." Tears welled up in the girl's eyes. "You still were injured, and it was because of me. I wanted to…" she bowed her head and a few tears escaped, dripping off her face. "To apologize for being a burden!"

Tenten was dumbstruck, her attitude towards the girl completely erased. How Neji, the bitterest of the bitter, had remained filled with hatred when this girl was around, was beyond her. Although she supposed she understood – Naruto was more like Hinata than she gave him credit for. Kindness was in their blood. "Hinata-chan, you saved my _life_." She pointed out dryly. "And what have I ever done for you?"

Hinata seemed to be imploding.

"You… well… you took care of Naruto-kun for so long… and Naruto-kun… he…" she forced the words out, little incoherent bits of sentences. "Naruto-kun has… been a great inspiration to me as a ninja!" she almost seemed to shout the final words and Tenten couldn't help the stupid grin that spread across her face.

"Your ship has _sunk_," she teased the girl. "Who would've thought that Hyuuga Hinata-sama of the illustrious _main branch _would have a crush on the… whadda they call him? The number one knuckle-headed ninja of the Leaf?"

If Hinata's head didn't burst from all the blood rushing to it, Tenten would be amazed.

"It's also… because of Neji-onii-san…" she seemed less likely to faint as she confessed this part. "He… hated me for so long, and I know… because of you and… others, that he was not as cold… and now he knows that he isn't…"

Tears trembled at the tip of Hinata's lashes and Tenten wanted to cry too.

Because of you and…

Lee. Gai. Naruto, even.

"And you saved me when I was…" tears fell heavily, but Hinata labored on. "And now, Neji-onii-san does not hate me as he did before… and I'm glad! So, because of those things, I wanted to protect you! And now… it's my fault you were unconscious for so long. When Gaara came, I was so frightened, because I remembered… but he was kind to me, and he saved you. So to him, I'm grateful too."

The door slid open again and Yamanaka Ino strode in, hips swaying, slumping against the bed. "_Geez_, Hinata, I've been looking for you everywhere! I went to the Hyuuga complex but that stupid cousin of yours nearly bit my head off! D'you think he's hiding fangs underneath those _perfect_ patrician lips?"

Silently, in a bitter part of her mind that she quickly shoved into darkness, Tenten knew that if she'd fought Ino back then, she would've advanced to the third round. But another, more childish part of her was amused at the idea of Ino showing up at the Hyuuga's and running into Neji.

"I'm sure he was just…" Hinata began, and Ino held a hand up dramatically.

"No! Don't you dare defend him!" Ino's eyes sparkled. "I was only wandering around, banging on every possible door for like fifteen minutes before he threatened my head! '_If you do not stop wandering around here like a bum, I will personally ensure that you become one_.'" She mimicked Neji's articulate voice with an accuracy that made Tenten's sides hurt. "Wow! You'd think the guy would hold a soft spot for me considering my best friend carried him home like a rag doll!"

The overwhelming personality of Ino quickly dried Hinata's tears. After that, when Sakura slid in, the four females of the Konoha genin laughed for hours together.

Ino's laugh ranged from a confident belly laugh that cleared the way for the rest of them - a scream from a swan that echoed freely… to an artful giggle that she confided she'd practiced in the mirror to impress Sasuke and some chuunin guy she'd once had a crush on - before finding out he was nearly six years older than she.

Sakura's giggle was more reserved, but when startled into laughter, it was a soft shout, ringing clearly and cleanly. She admitted, smiling at her own foolishness, that she'd forced herself to stop laughing loudly after Uchiha Sasuke had called her laugh irritating when they'd been in an argument.

The soft laughter that Hinata expelled was softer, hesitant, as if she weren't truly sure it was okay to let out the noise, admitting she tried to swallow the sound in her throat because when she was six, Neji had told her true shinobi couldn't laugh. Twinkling bells were what came to mind when she was shocked into a fit of giggles by a lewd statement Ino made.

Tenten's own laughter was like a dawn sun, which came slowly and surely and burst into life towards its peak – a coughing laugh she could hardly manage to choke out once it reached its full force.

"You know," Ino said, wiping away a tear at the corner of her eye. "I never thought I'd be laughing with any of you."

"Especially not on a hospital bed," Sakura added wryly.

Ninja bonds are forged deep and strong, Tenten thought. Who had said that? Perhaps Kakashi. Or the Sandaime, may he rest peacefully. Maybe Gai— she shoved the thought of Gai away before she became melancholy. Didn't want to alienate her new friends. And never had she dreamed of having three other girls in her bedroom. Sort of bedroom.

Granted, it was no slumber party, with Tenten barely conscious, Sakura torn up with grief, and Ino trying her damnedest to keep the atmosphere bright, but it was more than she'd ever had.

Before, she never made friends she could bring home. Bringing home friends meant rubbing it in Naruto's face – that he had none. Then, in the Academy, her class had maybe one other kunoichi, who'd been two years older than her and was already married off to someone within her clan, retiring hardly three months later because of pregnancy. She hadn't attempted to speak with Tenten since – ninja were now beneath her, she supposed.

Then, with Team Gai, she'd finally made friends. Lee, whose endless spirit kept her pushing, and Neji… who had basically been her best friend, even before his recent transformation into a human being.

Hinata smiled, a little sadly. "You are the first friends I've ever made, outside of my team," she said, admitting to Tenten's thoughts.

Ino nudged her. "Maybe if you weren't so shy, we would've talked to you before!" she rebuked the smaller girl teasingly.

Tenten snorted at that and said: "Don't blame her shyness. You befriended _Nara_."

Sakura giggled.

"The good old family legacy." Ino groaned.

"Legacy?" Hinata asked shyly, as if she thought she were prying.

Ino moaned, shoving her fingers over her eyes and explained with a weary tone: "Ino-Shika-Chou! Our fathers were teammates and basically conspired to stick us together. I was doomed from the start."

"Better _Chouji_ than _Naruto_," Tenten and Sakura added snidely in unison, before shocking the other into laughter.

"There's nothing wrong with Chouji-san… or Naruto-kun," Hinata said with a flush.

Ino rolled her eyes.

"Says the girl with Aburame as a team member," Tenten winked. "I can't tell if he's terrifying or just creepy. And Inuzuka! If I ever met a little bastard worse than him, I can't think of who."

"Naruto!" Ino crowed. Sakura covered her mouth to stifle her giggles. "It's okay, we don't have it too bad. Imagine being Tenten," she continued, not noticing Hinata's darkening expression as she peered at Tenten. "Lee and Neji… that must be worse than Naruto and Sasuke!"

Tenten, for a blissful moment, had forgotten. She forgot the battle with the guy who Naruto told her was Kimimaro, she forgot the chuunin exams, she forgot… Lee was dead. There were only a few girls, teasing her about her little brother, gossiping and having a grand time. But it wasn't real. Because they were kunoichi it could never be real.

She gazed at the other, shocked three with a conspiratorial expression. "Hey, what would you do if I cried?" she asked, testing them, ready to kick them out in case she needed privacy.

Sakura looked at her, trembling again. "Join in." She said it with utter conviction and understanding, and suddenly, the aura of laughter and feminine conspiracy was gone, replaced with a tiring, exhausting air as four girls began to weep in unison, for all the things they'd lost in such a short time, and as they cried themselves out, not a single one pretended to think it could get better.

The four kunoichi aged a year in an hour and a decade in a day.

x

The next day, Naruto came in hesitantly, not excited, not happy, and before she could ask him what was wrong, he blurted: "Ero-Sannin wants me to go on an adventure with him to become a great ninja!"

Tenten looked up at him, surprised. "An adventure? Like a mission?"

He shook his head, looking almost sheepish. "I… uh… he says we're gonna leave Konohagakure… for a _minimum_ of three years. More, if he thinks I need it. He says he can teach me to control the my chakra... the red chakra." He shook his head, tears dripping down his still-round cheeks, and he sniffed, and hiccoughed, soon breaking into outright sobs. "I wasn't strong enough to bring Sasuke-teme back," he wept. "I'm afraid of the red chakra inside me and I'm afraid of what's going to happen to Sasuke. I'm afraid that someone else will end up like Bushy-Brows and I'm afraid to leave you, onee-chan!"

His shoulders, so much broader than just a few months ago, shook heavily with the pain of a man thrice his age, and Tenten suddenly was tearing out of bed, ignoring the searing pain in her side, ignoring the atrophied muscles in her legs, ignoring the enormous gash in her leg that made sure she could not put any weight on it at all and wrapped her arms around him, trying to absorb all of his pain and take it into herself to spare him everything he'd ever dealt with. Love flowed through her veins before blood and he clutched her back, and she did not complain or even wince when he hugged her ribs tightly and unknowingly because she would bear anything for this small boy who had just gained friends and loved ones and didn't know how to deal with losing them.

All of his life, Naruto had been alone - with the exception of her and the Sandaime and the mockery of his classmates. So when he had gained friends, he'd changed – this boy was so much happier and more confident and stable than ever before. Never again did he have to play silly pranks for attention – it was given to him solely because he was Uzumaki Naruto, the sunshine of the village, able to forgive and love all of them.

And now he was losing them, one by one, and her tears dripped on his forehead, hot and fat and quick and his dripped on her papery hospital gown, combined with mucus and spittle and she clutched at him, feeling the ache in her own heart for the child she loved so much. Her boy, her otouto, Naruto-kun, the little baka with eyes like the sky and hair golden like the sun.

"You can go Naruto – I know you need to."

"Can't you come?" he begged, but she knew that this was a moment of weakness and that he would regret it, that he needed to grow without her, that he needed the adult to guide him and show him what she couldn't, and that he needed this on his own. They were shinobi now. She'd promised him to let him go his own way.

"That's not what you really want," she told him tenderly, and she felt him sag with disappointment and relief. "Besides, you know me. I'd be up the Sannin's ass about taking care of you. If you want to do this, you do it without me."

"But I love you," he said, his voice muffled and afraid and nervous and shy and she cried with him.

"And I'll be waiting for you to come back," she promised him. "I won't leave you."

After he left, she cried quietly. It didn't quite feel real. She couldn't imagine three years with him gone, and how could anyone take him away from her? But this was what he needed, and she'd give it to him. She loved him.

x

"What do you mean you can't release me until someone picks me up?" Tenten recoiled from the nurse's smooth, unfamiliar touch, crossing her arms. "Why the hell can't I just jump out the window and be done with you? My only relative left Konoha!"

The nurse looked at her impatiently. "We're under express orders from the Hokage to keep an eye on all of the Konoha genin – _particularly_ those who were injured in the latest mission. Your ribs aren't healed, and if you try walking on that leg, you'll collapse."

She exploded. "Hyuuga Neji was released in five days! I've been here for two weeks! My brother is _constantly_ in and out of this place. I don't understand why I'm stuck here—"

"Raising a raucous?" a cool voice asked dryly. The nurse took her chance to escape.

She tried to whirl, but the effect was lost in her wheelchair. "Kakashi, if you don't get me—"

He raised a brow. "No. First of all, only a team captain can get emergency releases. Second, you were more than half dead when you were found. In fact, you had to be carried back."

She stewed in that for a minute, knowing it to be true but unwilling to admit her own weakness to herself. "Who the hell carried me? _Hinata_?"

"Gaara of the Sand."

The news of an alliance with Suna hadn't been too shocking – Tenten's knowledge of international policy was lacking – but the thought of being held in that stupid, deathly sand made her sick.

"You were quite a sight, too," he added with a smirk curving beneath that stupid mask. "Considering the boy probably weighs less than you do, seeing him carry you—"

Even he stopped at her disgust, and he knelt down, shaking a finger in her face. "Tenten, you can't hate him for what happened."

"Yes, I can."

"Does Hinata hate Neji?" he asked her, hitting her gently over the head with his stupid, tattered copy of Icha-Icha.

"No," she answered rebelliously, resentfully. "Does Sasuke-san hate his brother?"

He shot her a dry, one-eyed stare. "Do you plan on defecting from the village or beginning a solo war on Suna anytime soon?"

"Not before I make chuunin, at least," she answered, exasperated enough to begin joking again, though only half-heartedly. "Why the hell are you here?"

This time he hit harder. "Respect your elders. And watch your language."

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, Kakashi-sempai."

"If you keep smart-mouthing me, you won't get to escape or hear the special news."

"Escape?" she looked at him and realization bloomed – first hopeful, and then the ramifications of her realization hit her.

"I see you've figured it out already. It took the Hyuuga much longer."

Tenten snorted. "I'm in charge of strategy for a reason."

"You may have to cede that to Sakura," he grinned. "While you've been unconscious for two weeks, she's been studying."

She groaned. "I was not unconscious for two weeks…"

He abruptly grew serious. "Anyway, I'll get you out of here, but since I refuse to carry you, you can sit in this wheelchair."

"No way! I'd rather have you carry me. It'd look like I was training!"

"Not in that hospital gown," he pointed out.

Tenten refused. "There's no way I'm sitting in this thing longer than possible. Where's the team meeting?"

"My first act of team captain—"

"Be quiet, Kakashi-taichou and just get me away from here. I won't be able to look any Hyuugas in the eye for a week, I'm so sick of white. Actually, looking at your hair makes me a little nauseated."

There was a faint hint of a smile in his voice. "Impertinent brat. I can't tell if you take after Naruto or if Naruto takes after you."

"He takes after me of course," she reassured him. "He's not nearly as clever as me though," she confided.

Kakashi sauntered out. "I'll be back. Don't go jumping out of any windows before I'm back."

So when Tenten and Kakashi appeared in front of Hokage Mountain, Sakura and Neji already waiting, she wasn't sure what their raucous was about until Neji said accusingly: "First of all, you're an hour and a half late—"

"Which isn't too bad for Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said under her breath.

"And second of all, you've got my teammate half-naked. Tenten, what on earth were you thinking?"

She shot back: "You try spending two weeks in the hospital! Did you really think I was going to show up in a wheelchair?! And besides, there's nobody to bring me clothes! Naruto showed up yesterday to tell me he was leaving with Jiraiya, without that pervert asking my permission, may I just add, and then I get some crap about Tsunade-sama babysitting me?"

"Still, don't you think this position is kind of compromising?" Sakura asked blandly.

Kakashi was holding her bridal style, her pale hospital gown her only real clothing. Of course Neji was bothered by it. He'd consider it indecent. Tenten made a face. "Do you really think I'd fool around with my sensei?" she asked, revolted. "Have you been reading his Icha-Icha novels?"

"Which were written, by the way," Neji's amusement was palpable. "By your otouto's new sensei."

Tenten saw red.

"Now, now," Kakashi tried to calm them all down, but to no avail as they all exploded.

"You're _late_."

"You're such a _pervert_!"

"You let _Naruto_ run away with _another_ pervert?! Kami, I thought he was _exaggerating_ with all the 'Ero-Sannin' business…"

Sighing, Kakashi measured up his students. It would be more difficult than he thought.

"Listen!" he said seriously, and the three of them stopped scolding him and obeyed. "With Naruto, Sasuke, Lee and Gai otherwise out of commission, we're reforming Team Kakashi." Sakura's face trembled a little at the bluntness but Neji and Tenten nodded, quieted. "Gai has impressed upon the two of you the ability to cohesively respond to one another's attacks and defend one another. I elected to impress the value of comradeship on my team."

Neji gave an indelicate cough. Kakashi ignored him studiously.

"So this team will learn to work not only as a team, but as individual functioning members of society… something I _failed_ to impress upon my team."

Sakura was bravely trying to hide her tears, and Tenten, thanks to their newfound bond, wanted to comfort her. She however, was busy trying to make sure that Kakashi wouldn't forget he was holding her.

"Training starts at six AM tomorrow," he informed them, trying to sound blasé. Looking at Tenten, he tossed her in Neji's arm. "Your mission for today is to get Tenten home. And Sakura?"

"Yes, sensei?" she asked, glaring at him.

"This time will be different." With that promise, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Where does he even disappear to all the time?" Sakura grumbled beneath her breath. Tenten did not tell her about the memorial. It seemed far, far too private, somehow, to reveal the lackadaisical jounin's decade-long mourning. Even her discovery of the place where he spent all of his time was not so much a discovery as her ace-in-the-hole when she needed him.

Neji shifted uncomfortably. "You've gotten heavier, Tenten," he told her dispassionately.

She shot him a deathly glare. "I can't help it if I've gained muscle mass," she blushed a little. "_Lee_ would've had no trouble carrying me."

His grip tightened around her instinctively, a challenge to his muscle memory. "Why did you leave the hospital if you can't even walk?" he asked, looking as if he wanted to lie down in a dark room with no noise.

Sakura grinned a little though. "You're just like Naruto… he does the same thing constantly. Sasuke once jumped out the window…"

"Likely they could walk."

She adjusted in his arms, trying to make sure she weighed on him as heavily as possible. They started towards her apartment, his gait smooth and sure, with Sakura skipping just ahead, lightly, to make sure she was heading in the right direction.

"You're so ungrateful. I saved you!" she told him, fighting a laugh at how uncomfortable he looked. "And Sakura!"

"I've already thanked Sakura," he mumbled, the visible parts of his eyes red. "I visited you after you were out of surgery… to thank you."

Two things hit Tenten – the resemblance she must've held to Lee, with a destroyed leg and a surgery. Despite his stoic attitude, she knew what it would've taken out of him to lose another teammate. And it also hit her that he didn't know how to properly express her gratitude.

She thought of Hinata, too, who could barely speak without falling apart but had bravely stood in front of Tenten. What was _with_ these dysfunctional clans? Uchiha Sasuke was a mess too… running away from the village?

"Wow, thanks, Neji, for carrying me!" she tried to praise him. He looked as if he wanted to drop her. "Don't give me that face, I'm trying to be grateful."

Sakura smothered a laugh, peering back at them: Tenten, her hair down and gnarled worse than the roots of any tree in the Forest Of Death, riding in Neji's arms like a child, her hospital gown revealing everything to the gazes of the civilians milling about, their expressions ranging from surprised amusement to disgust and shock at her state. Then there was Neji, carrying her as warmly as if she were groceries that had fallen in mud, his expression bland over the murder in his eyes.

"Hey, Tenten, looking good!"

The howl was cut short from a massive punch Sakura sent towards him. "What the hell do you want, pervert?" she growled at him, her face as pink as her hair.

Kiba put his hands up protectively, smirking. "Just walking Akamaru, calm down. I can smell _you_ from a mile away, Tenten."

Tenten rolled her eyes. "Comment on my appearance again and I won't need to walk to kill you," she threatened. "Tell me I stink again and I won't even threaten you."

"You were just in the hospital for two weeks," Kiba pointed out with an air of superiority. "I'd say my stamina would last out against you. Besides, I didn't mean you stink, I meant your usual smell. You smell like metal. What the hell are you doing anyway?"

Neji ground out the words. "Kakashi-sensei and Tenten decided that it was time for a jail break, and left me with the duty of getting her home."

Kiba winked. "I'll carry you," he offered.

Sakura and she both barked a hasty _no_, but Neji seemed to be considering it. Tenten sent him a menacing scowl.

"I swear, Neji—"

He sighed loudly. "If you don't cease your chatter, I'll hand you over."

Clinging to him, she finished her sentences in his ear: "If you put me in his arms, I swear—"

Half of her was sure it was an empty threat. The other half wasn't sure how desperate an embarrassed Neji could get. But he blew out an exasperated breath. "I'm teasing you," he informed her, cringing.

She relaxed against him and turnd her scowl against Kiba. "Beat it, Inuzuka." Her threat was only halfway joking.

He held his hands up again, letting out a wolfish chuckle. "Hey, I know where I'm not wanted. See you around." He raced away, Akamaru barking excitedly, nipping his master's heels.

"You know, if he got a haircut, he'd be pretty cute," Tenten commented.

Neji snorted in disbelief. "If you're so interested in his looks, I could call him back here."

"No!" Sakura forced the word out, mouth quirking. Tenten nodded emphatically.

"I'm more in to pretty boys anyway," Tenten said mischievously, poking at his chest playfully. Sakura, who _obviously_ mirrored her feelings, blushed when Tenten shot her a wink.

It was easier to laugh than to cry.

"If you're calling me pretty, I'll dump you in the river." Neji's words were not a threat so much as an ominous promise. A few weeks ago, she would've believed him.

Clicking her teeth, she gave him a sly grin. "I see right through you. If you wouldn't hand me over to Kiba, you wouldn't drown me."

"You're wrong," he contradicted calmly. "I'd believe you to be much safer at the hands of the current than in Inuzuka's."

Stopping in front of her house, the three of them were joking – well, Tenten was joking, Sakura was alternating from blushes to trembles, and Neji was holding himself back from murder. Before, on Team Gai, Tenten had been calmer – with the erratic shenanigans of Lee and Gai, she'd felt herself slipping into a more reserved attitude, to set a balance. Now, though, she did not feel the same need to counteract madness. It was a relief, but it also hurt.

Deftly unlocking the door that was sealed shut – more because Tenten often lost her key and Naruto needed practice than any paranoia on her part – Tenten motioned for Neji to carry her into her room, seating her atop the faded blankets.

Her room was exactly what he'd expect it to be, he mused, as Sakura hovered over her and offered to make tea. Blank scrolls hung over every part of the room, with ink splattered all over the floor and walls – even the ceiling had not remained untouched – as well as a collection of senbons shoved in the corner of the room. A messily shuffled deck of fortune-telling cards were splayed on the floor, half under her bed, and a giant, stuffed bear Lee had won her on their first mission to another village was propped next to the bed, its honey-brown fur looking soft and worn.

After Neji surveyed her bedroom, he abruptly left, leaving her and Sakura to drink tea and speculate about what tomorrow would hold.

"So, what was Kakashi like for Team Seven?" Tenten prodded.

Sakura hesitated. "Sasuke-kun was always his favorite… and he usually ignored me. I don't think he meant to," she clarified hastily. "But Sasuke-kun and Naruto overpowered me, not just in jutsu, but personality. I guess he thought that if he could control those two, he'd finally be able to help me. And Naruto has that special chakra, and all that stamina… and Sasuke-kun is an Uchiha…" she trailed off. "Every exercise he gave us, I excelled at. But while Naruto and Sasuke-kun have improved, I'm the same as I ever was."

Tenten nodded. "So that's what he meant when he said it would be different?"

With a hopeful shine in her eyes, Sakura nodded. "Because you and Neji-san have already figured out what you're good at. You spar with Neji – all you really need is guidance on missions now. I'm the same little genin who dieted on the first day of training to impress Sasuke…"

Widening her eyes, Tenten felt her mouth round into an oval. "You _didn't_!" her voice was hushed, serious.

Sensing the amusement bubbling beneath the surface, Sakura nodded, ashamed and amused at her own antics. Silently shaking with laughter, Tenten nearly suffocated, trying to keep her hilarity from exploding.

"I knew… you had a thing… for Uchiha… but… oh!" Tenten's mirth was uncontainable.

When she finished laughing, tears had found their way to the corners of her eyes, she swiped them, grinning at the girl's chagrined mortification.

"I guess I've always been a fool where he's concerned."

Tenten shook her head. "And Ino-chan… and did you know about Hinata's crush on Naruto-baka?" the gossiping reminded her of these girly session in her hospital bed. She loved it.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Yes! You'd have to be an idiot not to see it… so Naruto is clueless. You'd think the beautiful daughter of one of Konoha's proudest clans would be into a prince or something."

"Or even someone like Aburame," Tenten mused.

Recoiling, Sakura shook her head. "No way! He's creepy."

But Tenten contradicted her thoughtfully. "No… well, I mean, he is. But Neji's also inhuman, and we're good friends. The proximity is half of it, I think. And Hinata is sweet, so she'd see past Shino's weirdness in a minute. I'd almost say Inuzuka, but he's so protective of her, you'd think they were siblings."

Shuddering, Sakura smiled. "Hinata-chan and _Kiba_? No way… he'd overwhelm her into a breakdown." But then she mused: "It's like how Ino-pig-chan is with Shikamaru and Chouji-san. I think she likes managing them more than anything, but if she managed them into marriage one day, I wouldn't be surprised."

The bright smile slowly slid off her face, and she looked at Tenten hesitantly over her tea, the cup cracked from the time she'd thrown it at Naruto. Green eyes peered up and Sakura began slowly…

"Is Neji-san always like that?"

"Like what?" Tenten asked stupidly. The way she saw and responded to Neji was by far not the way most of their peers saw and responded to him.

"He seemed so angry… and I know, he's stern, but after having Naruto as a teammate…"

Understanding dawned, and Tenten shook her head. "Well… no. I mean, yes, he's always like that, but…" internally groaning at the turn of the conversation, she brought up Lee, cringing at her own train of thought. He was what, now, a memory? A peppy speech? To her it felt cheap and painful. "With a teammate like Lee, he grew even more distant. He resented needing a team. He resented his family. He resented all of Konoha, all for that he'd die for each one of those groups… I was always there for him, partially because he was the only sane member of the team, but it was Naruto who got through to him." Tenten tested her words. "He's more… receptive than he'd ever been. And with Lee gone, it was hard… so I guess we've developed a closeness."

"But when he was carrying you…"

"Okay, think of it this way. You're injured and useless, and you purposefully inconvenience him, and he still has to deal with you and help you. Would Uchiha carry you?"

A small smile glimmered. "He'd drown me like Neji-san threatened, or hand me over to Kiba."

"Neji's not as cold as he seems. You'll get used to him."

"So… the two of you are close? Naruto and I… he cares about me, and I was always cruel to him and favored Sasuke-kun."

"Kakashi was telling the truth when he said Gai-sensei put utmost priority on our teamwork. It's going to be difficult for him to accept you… at first. He's a hard guy, but even if he acts like he'd rather swallow a kunai than speak to you, he'll save your life in a second."

Pausing, Tenten compared Neji to Sasuke. "He hasn't had it particularly easy. We all know of the Uchiha Massacre. Someone Uchiha loved destroyed his clan. In Neji's case, his clan destroyed someone he loved. Uchiha has no tie to the village that let them die, and Neji tried to sever ties with the clan that binds him. He has to live with them every day. His clan is his identity and his curse." She felt dramatic using those words to describe composed, patient Neji. The last descriptor she would normally use for Neji was dramatic or dark. Perhaps angry or hateful. Condescending, arrogant, rude, negative, cool, quiet, propriety-bound, uptight, stern, stoic, patient... the list went on. "But I promise, Sakura, the three of us will be as thick as thieves." She tried to interject cheer into her voice, and it failed.

Despite Tenten's reassurances being obviously lacking, Sakura smiled, but the shine was dull. It wasn't a 'Nice Guy!' pose. "I won't be too lonely without Naruto," she remarked. "Because I have you now... it won't be too empty without Sasuke-kun, because Neji-san is just like him."

It would be empty regardless, but the effort was there. Squeezing the girl's hand, Tenten nodded approvingly. "Team Kakashi!" she crowed, her voice hollow.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: I want to slowly reveal just how badly Naruto's absence is going to affect Tenten's emotions and how that affects those around her. From now on, I'm going to be editing and completely changing canon, now that Naruto is gone, as well as the impact Lee's death will have on the previous Team Gai.**

**Since they are siblings, and Tenten has made him a primary motivating force in many aspects of her life, Naruto's hurried decision to leave is going to profoundly impact her, and I want the change to be obvious and rather drastic, though slow. **

**Reviews and criticisms are appreciated! Thanks so far to everyone who has favorited and followed this, as well as reviewed!**

* * *

Kakashi arrived at promptly nine, three hours after he'd asked _them_ to come. Neji meditated while Tenten threw kunai over his head, lazily. Sakura sat with her upon the bridge and attempted to follow Neji's footsteps, but was too unnerved by Tenten's twirling of the weapons.

"You're late," Neji's derision was palpable, and Tenten stifled a laugh, tossing another kunai into the woodwork above his head.

"Ah, yes... sorry."

"We've been here for an hour, Kakashi-sensei, I didn't expect you to be this late. Three hours is a lot for you."

"Would you prefer chronic lateness or the power of youth?" Tenten mumbled, standing on one leg and pulling the kunai out of the wood. Neji scoffed.

"Unluckily for you, this isn't a restaurant menu, and you're stuck with me." Kakashi strode up easily, his long strides stopping just before Sakura. "Today, kids, we're going to train."

Tenten glared at him. "I don't know if you've already forgotten—"

"You'll be the long-range fighter. You won't even have to move." Kakashi promised. "Or, if your chakra is up to it, you can summon a clone. Do you know how to assimilate your clone's knowledge?"

"Yes, and how to percentage off my clones." She hesitated. Clones were Naruto's signature, and despite the new, jounin-level (or so Gai claimed) technique, she wasn't as comfortable at genjutsu as she should've been by this point in her career. Her ninjutsu was average, but genjutsu was not something she excelled at by any means.

"If you can keep your clones going for an entire session, you can sit right here. Make one for Neji and one for Sakura. Your skills are best suited for sparring with both of them. I want to measure out your skills as well as Neji's, and Sakura is getting her first private session with me after this."

In a burst of smoke, two slightly disheveled clones appeared.

"_Really_?" one touched her lopsided hair buns.

"Get over it," Tenten dismissed her. Neji stood easily and her more disheveled clone followed, to where they began their traditional training.

Quickly, metal clanged against metal and a kunai or two were thrown away to as far as where Sakura stood. "Wow," she breathed.

Kakashi gazed at his original student. She was a scholar – she was less likely to be impressed by Naruto and Sasuke's shows of wicked power as much as Tenten's unique fighting style and Neji's obvious mastery of his own techniques.

"So you summon those weapons?"

Tenten grinned. "I could seal a ship if I had to," she boasted.

"And that's his kekkei genkai?"

This time it was pride for her teammate that brought her bragging. "He's a genius even amongst his clan."

Sakura shook her head and looked up at Kakashi in awe. "They have special techniques. What can I do?"

"We were trained primarily in taijutsu, because Lee's inability to utilize his chakra, and because Neji's kekkei genkai primarily manifests itself through close-combat, making taijutsu necessary. I'm not really strong, but I'm fast and agile because of it. If your chakra control is that good, then see taijutsu as just another way to augment your muscles with chakra. It helps," she added wryly, rubbing her calf. The muscle was going to be in pristine condition, once it regained its ability to actually hold her up, but the flesh was a nasty red scar, that would probably end up atrophying into her skin, rather than raising up into a keloid. Regardless, it would be obvious, but Tenten was so grateful that the damage was only cosmetic that she didn't care.

They watched until Tenten's clone disappeared in a puff of smoke – and Neji returned, nearly perfectly groomed, from his coif to his shoes, until Sakura noted that there is a tiny mark on his cheek, hardly a scratch, and that one of his sandals was hanging by a string.

His stride is easy, confident, smooth, and Sakura envied it.

"Alright, Tenten. If you'd like to leave, you can."

There was a quiet order beneath his words. Leaving behind her second clone, she had Neji scoop an arm around her, helping her slowly leave.

"That was nothing like a session with Gai-sensei," Neji commented.

"I think he feels bad for Sakura," Tenten craned her neck to see if there were any signs of a loud fight. "Apparently he never gave her much attention before. You and I don't need training with him as much as she does. All we really need is to figure out our battle formation with her in it instead…"

She trailed off and he continued striding, his walk sleek compared to her limping gait.

"Inuzuka was correct," he noted. "You do have the smell of iron."

"Wow, Neji, if you really wanted to woo me, you should've told me I smell like the springtime of youth," her expression was pained – another rude comment from him and she'd skewer him.

He stopped for a second and smiled. It was a genuine smile, small, but warm. The upward movement of his lips was intended only for her, and she treasured it.

She could hear Lee raving with joy in her head:_ Neji, my eternal rival! You have begun to blossom_!

"How have you been sleeping?" he asked abruptly, and she looked at him. Neither nin had broached the subject since Lee's surgery – the joyous summoning of Katsuyu-sama had quickly been eclipsed by tragedy.

"Besides the two weeks I got in the hospital?" she tried to joke. The seriousness of his expression had her adding, "Eight hours a night. It's weird how much I sleep, now. I can hardly tell when I'm tired."

He tsked. "I did not quite thank you… during my battle, it is because of you I didn't suffer. I saw your weapon strike his."

"It didn't do that much," she began, ready to spare him the humiliation of having to express gratitude.

His quiet words cut her off. "You may have saved my life. Sakura informed me of how you ordered her back, carrying me."

"And to think you were so adverse to carrying me, after all that."

Dark eyes met light, and he began walking again, more slowly. "I suppose we are all more than lucky you arrived."

"If Lee had been there—"

"But he was not, Tenten, and we cannot keep dwelling on this!" his voice was sharp, rebuking not only her but himself. "Team Gai is finished, but just because the team falls apart does not mean we can. Konoha needs us, and I—"

He didn't finish the sentence, but Tenten felt it. Naruto was absent, with hardly a good-bye, Lee was gone, snatched, and Gai would never be what he once was. At least for a while, they were on their own, because Sakura needed Kakashi as much as Tenten and Neji needed one another, as thoughtlessly and voicelessly, the unspoken bond of teammates who lost, and lost together.

"You know, I didn't really like you at first," Tenten told him, and his brows knitted together.

"Whyever not?" he asked, sounding for a moment, genuinely confused. "That was the same me from just before the exams, and you have been my closest comrade since before then."

"It's not you that changed my mind, it's the first time you meditated. I threw a shuriken at you, and you didn't even flinch or blink. That's when I knew you trusted me," she explained with superiority, as if speaking to a child. "And since you trusted me, I decided to like you."

Neji's dumbfounded expression reminded her of their team photo. Lee, already emulating Gai by that point, sans jumpsuit, was making the 'Nice Guy' pose at the camera, front and center, Gai looming over him, smile glinting, with Neji and Tenten pushed into the corner, looking at them in disbelief, not realizing the camera was going off at such an inopportune moment.

She still wasn't sure how they'd get through it. They were in limbo now, staid, waiting for Lee to pop up, green jumpsuit at the ready, for a request to spar with them, or a cheerful monologue on youth.

"Hn."

"You know, Sakura interrogated me about you yesterday." She made sure to keep her tone dismissive, to spark his interest.

"Hn?"

"She was curious."

"Obviously."

Rather than grunt, he'd spoken, which meant she caught him. "Actually, she was wondering if you were always so grumpy."

"And what did you tell her?" his tone was testy, as if he expected a rude awakening in the next ten seconds, but she hobbled along cheerfully.

"That you're the best teammate a girl could ask for, of course!"

There were set, factual things she knew about Neji. She knew that his favorite color was green, until the Beasts ruined it and he had mentioned he liked gray, that his blood type was O, and that he meditated more as a hobby than to expand his chakra reserves. Hyuuga Neji was a creature of fact and elegance, of complexities that made the easy things stand out. He didn't like spicy food, and hated pumpkins, but once he'd eaten herring soba and told her that it was his favorite. His birthday was July third and once he'd very nearly blushed when he walked into the female section of a hot spring.

She also knew he also had a stunning, infectious smile. Nothing like Lee's pinging grin, every tooth ready to be shown off, but a small, genuine curve of lips, revealing his neat rows of perfect Hyuuga teeth. Lee's smile had been the shining summer sun in the Land of Fire. Neji's was sunrise in winter. A little bit of that morning sunshine peeked through the soft clouds

"So, where am I carrying you off to?" he asked neutrally.

"Not home. I was so bored yesterday I just started throwing kunai at the ceiling and now there are holes _everywhere_.

"You need to learn the teleportation jutsu," he commented, seemingly idly, before continuing. "I can take care of those holes if you like."

She stared at him, sure this was another joke. "Handyman Hyuuga?" she asked, cocking her head.

"Hardly as ridiculous as the babysitter role you seemed to have forced Kakashi-taichou into," he pointed out.

"It's just not something you'd think a Hyuuga would know how to do, fixing plaster."

He looked down at her with a withering gaze. "Branch Hyuugas must fend for themselves, Tenten."

Her mouth formed a little oval and she nodded, staying tactfully quiet. They moved in companionable silence, their steps mingling easily from long practice, until they reached her apartment.

"I'd offer to clean up, but…" she gestured at her leg, sitting on the comfort of her bed, watching Neji distastefully pick his way through the clutter. "Watch out! Those senbons are poisoned."

His stare was deathly. "Why would you leave poisoned… no, actually, why would you leave _any_ senbons around?" he muttered, scooping them up deftly and placing them out of harm's way. With a pop, he disappeared and reappeared, supplies in hand.

She sat up in outrage, ignoring the useless muscles of her leg. "When did you learn the teleportation jutsu?" she demanded in outrage.

He scoffed at her and cleared an area, pulling out a stool to step on, so he could reach the low-hanging ceiling. "Just because you don't know how to do it, doesn't mean I can't learn."

"You're teaching me the instant I'm mobile!"

Taking the thick substance out of the can with a trowel of some sort, Neji activated his jutsu and with inhuman speed, spread the gray substance across the wall. "It'll fade to white as it dries," he informed her, stepping down neatly.

"You used your jutsu… and I was so looking forward to watching you suffer in manual labor." She pouted, and he ignored her studiously.

"Don't wait for that day," he advised.

"You should be more chivalrous and entertain me," she teased. "Like… how about you help me teleport to the kitchen!"

Hand signs were not her strength, and Neji's rapid maneuvering did not help, but despite the jutsu being high-level, it was simple, and after an hour, she was in the kitchen, cheering loudly.

"I'd say this is quite enough for one day." Neji hovered over her. "I'm going to leave."

"No, don't go!" she didn't care if her tone sounded begging. "Please, please, please stay, I'll make you herring soba."

"Tenten, you cannot stand."

"I can balance on one leg. If I can wear high heels, I can stand on one leg."

He briefly looked as if he were considering amusement. "Why do you own heels?"

Tenten fluttered her lashes. "Why, a kunoichi must be prepared for all possible routes a mission takes! Seduction was taught at the Academy."

Neji looked incredulous, his shoulders and neck completely erect in his surprise.

"What kind of electives did you guys get?" she demanded. "It was a choice between flower arranging and seduction, for us."

"We learned _evasion_ techniques."

Scowling, she glared at him, struggling to pull herself up, watching his expression. "Damn it," she scowled. "If that's not a gender bias, I'm not sure what is."

He'd been on the tail end of her feminist rants before, and wasn't planning on initiating another one where he was the target of her ire. Tenten was prone to throw things, ninja tools or not. Half of the items in her home had once been fodder for a fight with – or _at_, considering Tenten's ferocity – Naruto.

"Why don't I make the soba," was all he said, his tone giving no indication of his dread at her monologues. It wasn't particularly bad as youth, but being on the tail-end of Tenten's temper had long ago cured him of any lingering sexism that was so prevalent in the finer clans.

One comment toward Lee about 'fighting like a girl' and Tenten had nearly demolished him. It wasn't often her wrath was aimed towards him – or anyone besides Naruto – but he fervently admitted that it was one of the few times she had nearly killed him.

The first time she nearly killed them was when she used her bukijutsu for the first time in training – nearly slicing both of them in half. A long scar ran down his neck, and she had several on her arm, long and white and smooth, more like burns than his raised line of a memento.

Funnily enough, it was when he learned to trust her. Originally, he'd seen her as a half-rate kunoichi stuck on his team because he had no other graduating kunoichi to choose from. He knew the pattern well. As there were twice as many shinobi than kunoichi, the team makeup was bad shinobi – average kunoichi – good shinobi, with slight variations thereof. In his case, he'd been convinced of Lee's hopelessness and Tenten's dismally average skills.

Sitting on the hospital bed with her, as she apologized profusely for screwing up what she called the Twin Rising Dragons jutsu – because it wasn't her aim, Tenten's aim was never anything less than sheer perfection – and surprisingly, he accepted her apology. He accepted hers the way Lee accepted his for cracking five of his ribs, and the way she accepted Lee's for once sending her flying so far that it took the Byakugan to find her.

Rapidly and easily he prepared the meal, watching her scooting around the kitchen in trousers that were once fine and a shirt that had been ripped to shred months ago.

It struck him that Tenten was poor. The very word seemed crass. She did not have particular wealth or connections. The milk stored in the back of the fridge was weeks old. She worked, as he did, but she did not have the protection of the Hyuuga name or facilities. She was not watched, but she was also not cared for. Whenever Neji's clothing was ripped, the next day he found fresh clothes, either new or repaired, in front of his bedroom door. Most of Tenten's clothing was easily from years ago. He wondered what it had been like to grow up so alone. Had they been watched, or brought supper, or had friendly neighbors?

He'd always looked down on the blond boy - or at least, had before his crushing defeat at the boy's hands - but now he wondered at his boundless joy and affection. Tenten had not experienced the same isolation - for some reason, Naruto had been targeted at a young age. Though Neji had not played with children his age outside of the clan, only an idiot could not see the way Uzumaki Naruto was treated at the hands of civilians.

They were silent and in easy harmony as they ate, the dish slightly bland because of Tenten's lack of proper ingredients. He had planned on sitting at the table, but one glimpse at the battered wood, dyed black from ink and covered in rough nicks and sealing paper, had him sliding down next to her on the floor in as dignified manner as he could muster.

"You said I had Kakashi in the babysitter role," she giggled up at him over her bowl with the gigantic chip in the rim. "But you're the one who always seems to end up taking care of me."

Neji looked at her, schooling his expression into blandness. He found, strangely enough, that he _enjoyed_ taking care of her.

Part of him understood why. With Lee and Gai gone, they were half a team, despite Sakura and Kakashi joining them. Two teams sliced in half did not a proper squad make. Perhaps he felt that he needed to keep Tenten close, as the images of Lee and Gai slid away. Another part of it was because he was in no way obligated to do so. This was their friendship, their camaraderie. It was not like his debt to Hinata, for nearly killing her, especially as it was on his head to protect her, or like a mission as a bodyguard. He did not want to help her because he was required to, or because she needed it.

Ever since the fateful day at the chuunin exams, he'd wanted to develop a close bond with her, and slowly but surely, they were. Likely it had been there already and he'd been far too blinded by his kekkei genkai to notice.

"All teams must break apart eventually," he told her. Just not so soon, not before they were all chuunin and now Rock Lee would never be there with them, celebrating a promotion or new accomplishment or mission.

She didn't answer – she was suddenly occupied with chewing, carefully, and he swore at himself. Since when had he shared the intimacies of his thoughts with anyone? He'd vowed to himself that he would become a better teammate, to anyone he was paired with, and _especially_ to Tenten, but this was not a situation where his skills were required.

Immediately feeling uncomfortable with their sudden jump into familiarity, he stood. "I really should go," he said, quickly thinking of a lie, any lie. "I told Hinata-sama I would help her train."

He didn't understand why he felt so defensive, all of a sudden. When she did not reply, he panicked, though he smoothly hid it beneath his well-polished veneer of bland neutrality.

Tenten looked startled, but immediately nodded, smiling up at him. Her smiles were all genuine – eyes crinkling and closing, a slight blush visible beneath the fairness of her skin, every line of her body falling into the gesture. Neji's own smiles were rare and rather cold.

"Tell her I said hello," she instructed him, struggling to stand. A moment ago he would've offered her his hand, but now, he fled, returning to the Hyuuga complex, to the silence of his room, to think, and to fall back on his defensive solitude.

x

"Tenten!" singsonged a feminine voice at the door. "Oh… Tenten!" the singing quickly turned into a shrieking as Ino banged on the door. "Come out… come out… wherever you may be!"

"I'm coming!" Tenten bellowed, hopping to the door. "Calm down!"

Opening the door, Tenten saw Ino's playful smile dominating the door frame, with tiny Hinata behind her, and Sakura, looking exhausted, sitting with her. "Come on in guys, what's up?"

"We're having a girls night!" Ino announced. "And the Hyuuga complex is a no, one Neji-san is enough for me, we can't do it at my place or Sakura's, so we figured we'd come here! Welcome to girl's night!"

Amused, Tenten hobbled over to the couch. "Usually you'd invite people before throwing a party at their house."

Hinata smiled softly at that. "We brought this movie… and snacks." Arraying the food on her dented table, she called back: "What would you like?"

"What movie is it?" Tenten wondered, not really hungry.

"Icha-Icha Paradise adaptation," Sakura cracked, and Tenten smothered a laugh.

"How was training?"

Sakura's smile was radiant. "He showed me some ninjutsu… I think I learned more today than I ever did before. He says after a few sessions with you and Neji, we should be ready to resume usual missions. Thank goodness, too, because after the invasion, we're short on nin."

"What about you Hinata?"

"What?" the girl asked, startled.

"Neji was here earlier but he said he promised to train with you today." Tenten clarified.

"No… I didn't train today. I helped Ino-chan out at the flower shop."

Tenten's eyes narrowed. "I wonder why he lied then?"

"Who cares!" Ino proclaimed, hand-on-hip. "You guys never have any fun do you?" she groaned at them and Tenten held in a giggle. "You!" she pointed at Sakura. "Nothing will ever get better if you keep moping about it! Cheer up! Geez. And you, Hinata! Stop being such a wimp! Get some confidence! You're a Hyuuga, one of the prettiest kunoichi in the village, and all you ever do is mumble!"

Then she rounded on Tenten. "And all you ever talk about is training! Your only friend besides us is _Hyuuga Neji_!" she shrieked, pointing a finger at her dramatically, the other hand resting on her hip as she fell into a physical groan, all the while yelling at Tenten. "Do you even have any hobbies?"

"I can read your fortunes after the movie," Tenten offered.

"Sleep-over party it is!" Ino giggled, her fierce expression immediate dissolving in favor of a girlish smile.

The other three soon made themselves at home, mostly due to Tenten's inability to bustle around. The Uzumaki apartment, despite its shabby appearance, was homey and welcoming, quite the opposite of the dismal elegance of the gorgeous Hyuuga compound.

At one point, Sakura stared at her leg. Not at all self-conscious, Tenten watched her. "What are you thinking about?" she teased, as Ino and Hinata were avidly watching the movie.

"Do you mind?" Sakura asked, and when Tenten shook her head, Sakura touched the muscle and scar, watching as it didn't flex. "When can you use it again?"

"As soon as it supports me," Tenten replied dryly. "There's no pain, but if I tried to stand on it right now, I'd fall right over. I'm getting better balance from this, but it also means I can't train—"

"Shut up!" Ino threw a pillow at them. "Shiro-kun is about to confess his love!"

After the movie finished, Ino yawned, loudly. "So, girl-talk time! Boys are absolutely out of the question, considering Forehead-chan and Hinata-chan are present, so why don't we talk about our hopes and dreams!"

Tenten's mind inserted the Nice Guy pose and she stifled a laugh.

Ino targeted her. "What do you want, Tenten-chan?"

"I wanted to be Tsunade-sama for a long time," Tenten admitted. "Now, who knows? I don't want to be anyone else."

"Hinata-chan!"

The girl shrugged shyly, hiding her flushing face. "Support my clan," she murmured modestly.

"Sakura-chan?"

"Marry Sasuke, of course." The girl's joke had Tenten stifling a smirk, and Ino wrung her hands dramatically.

"Come on, Forehead-chan, no boys allowed! Except fictional boys. Oh, Shiro-kun!" she catcalled dramatically.

"We all know your dream is to play mom to that team of yours, anyway, Ino-chan," Tenten teased. "You can't hide it."

With a harrumph, Ino shook her quickly growing hair dramatically. "If I don't take care of that band of idiots, who will? Asuma-sensei still hasn't asked out Kurenai yet, Shikamaru refuses to admit he's into the Sand girl, and Chouji won't diet! They _need_ me!"

Hinata blushed. "Has your sensei… really… about Kurenai-sensei?" she asked, twiddling two forefingers together, not meeting Ino's eye.

Leering, Ino grinned. "Kurenai's pretty hot, don't you think? When I make jounin, I'll make sure I stay as pretty as she is. I saw the same shade of lipstick she wears at the beauty shop the other day and I almost bought it, but red really isn't my color, unfortunately."

"Isn't she newly promoted to jounin too? Just before Team Kurenai was assembled. She's a genjutsu master."

"Exactly!" Ino said in exasperation. "Which is why you need to focus on your looks as much as your jutsu! Didn't the Academy teach you anything? It's a kunoichi's job to be a ninja, and also to be gentle and put-together. You don't have to sacrifice femininity to be strong!"

Tenten snorted. "It's not my job to be pretty for anyone. I'm not just a kunoichi, I'm a shinobi, and if Shikamaru and Neji don't wear lipstick, neither will I."

"But Kurenai-sensei is set on S-ranked seduction missions, which, in the future, we might be assigned to." Sakura interjected, looking a little annoyed at the idea.

Tenten rolled her eyes. "Kurenai-sensei is beautiful, yes, and she's a great kunoichi. However, I don't plan on going on any seduction missions."

"You don't know that!" Ino protested. "You have to be prepared!"

"Ino-chan, I promise, you are far more likely than I am to be sent on a seduction mission. Not every kunoichi is suited. Imagine the fit Hinata's father would have if she were assigned a 'distraction' mission."

Hinata's blush could've heated the Land of Snow, but Ino ignored it.

"You're no Forehead-chan, you troll. We'd dress you up and get you out there! I know! We can give you a practice run!"

Rummaging through a bag, Ino pulled out a small case of makeup. Sakura got into the spirit of it too and took a brush from Tenten's bathroom. Only Hinata smiled conspiratorially at her, as if to say, '_Let them have their fun_.'

Abruptly her hair was being ripped back by Sakura, her buns untied deftly and without any particular gentleness. The brushing, despite its roughness, felt good. Tenten could've curled up like a cat in that moment, so enthralled by the simple motion of the bristles on her scalp. The last time anyone had brushed her hair was when the Sandaime had agreed to play ninja dress up, and she'd asked him to make her appear like the Nidaime, spiky hair and all. Teasingly, he'd run the brush upward through her hair and given her the appearance of an electric current running through her hair. Naruto had thought it was hilariously foolish-looking, but she'd gotten revenge when he wasn't able to wipe off the red lipstick she'd colored all over his mouth.

Hovering in front of her, Ino studied her critically. "Well, you're cute enough, with those stupid hair buns, but you have a pretty average face. Straight nose, small lips, but your best feature is these eyes." Ino poked at her. "They swallow you up the way Sakura's Billboard Brow does."

Sakura shot her a playful glare. "Or like your overwhelming personality, Ino-pig-chan?"

Hinata smiled demurely at their banter, and watched in fascination as the two other girls styled her.

"Hm… red would be better for your lips than pink, I think." Ino decided. Sakura parted her hair and looked at her.

"Keep it subtler on her, the full effect looks better on your face than on hers," she opined, and Ino nodded vigorously.

"We can't make her too outrageous, she doesn't hold the expression for it," she sighed, with the manner of someone with great disappointment. "Look how oblivious!"

Tenten scowled, only to be smacked by Ino. "You'll muss your lipstick!"

After being pinched and pulled for several minutes, the two girls released her and stared.

"It's the best I can do on such short notice," Ino declared, pulling out a mirror and swerving to maul Hinata next.

Taking the small glass, Tenten looked at herself, reminded of the day she wanted to be pretty. She'd ended up fighting those earth-style chakra traps instead.

This time, though, Ino had done it. She was no great beauty, and never would be, but she was _pretty_, and the knowledge filled her with light.

She told herself a kunoichi had no place for vanity, but the excitement of being _pretty_ overwhelmed her and she smiled, so happily, as Hinata protested bashfully while Ino seemed to scribble all over her face.

"Now we're all beautiful! Except for Sakura, of course," Ino teased, winking.

"I have to return to the Hyuuga compound!" Hinata touched her face, her fingers splaying gently against her cheek. "I did not inform Hiashi-sama that I would be out this late."

Tenten felt her face fall. She genuinely liked Hinata, and despite her quiet demeanor, it was nice having her around for a 'girl's night'.

"Here, we'll walk you back." Tenten offered, forgetting about her leg and nearly toppling over. But as she regained her balance, a knock echoed on the door.

Three kunoichi stared at her.

"Who is that?" Sakura asked, surprised. "It's so late!"

Tenten shrugged and hopped to the door, testing her weight on her leg as she opened it.

She nearly fell over again, but for quite a different reason.

Neji stared at her face, his expression disbelieving. "What on earth have you done to yourself?"

Forcing down a mad flush that threatened it's way to her cheeks, Tenten gaped at him. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"I've come to collect Hinata-sama. Team Kurenai has a mission in the morning."

Aburame Shino loomed behind Neji, silently. Still in slight shock, Tenten blinked and shook her head. "Whatever. We were just about to take her home."

In a single, fluid movement, Hinata stood, reddening at Neji's incredulity.

"What the hell have you done to her?" he demanded, sending her a glare.

That quickly cleared up her surprise, and she sucked a breath in. "Me? I got attacked by the beauty squad too! Calm down, Neji, it's just a little makeup. It's not like she's going out on the town!"

"Try explaining that to Hiashi-sama," he hissed under his breath, stepping away as Hinata shuffled out the door.

"Nii-san, I am sorry—"

"Don't apologize to this guy, Hinata-chan," Tenten told her slyly.

He frowned.

"Neji's just grumpy because we didn't offer to make him over."

"I'll volunteer for that job!" Ino heckled, and his icy glare shot out at her, only to be dismissed by the flirty blonde.

"So_rry_, Neji-san, you may be colder than Sasuke-kun, but I've long developed immunity to all expressions like that."

"See you later, Neji-san!" Sakura called in an effort to be friendly, but after shooting her a measuring look, he slammed the door, keeping eye-contact with Tenten until the door was tightly wedged shut.

"What a killjoy. And both of you have him on your team! Poor Hinata-chan is related to him." Ino flipped through a magazine that had seemingly materialized out of her never-ending bag. "I guess I'm the lucky one here!"

"He's not so bad," Sakura argued. "After all, if Tenten-chan likes him…" she shot an encouraging smile at Tenten.

Rolling onto her stomach, Ino twirled her bangs. "Tenten's his punching bag," she corrected.

"Like how Shikamaru and Chouji-san are yours?" Tenten challenged playfully.

"Touche, girls. Ooh, look, here's a quiz." Then she gasped, and in a surprisingly pleasant gesture, dropped the honorific. "Tenten, read our fortunes!"

Grinning, Tenten did just that.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:**

**Hi, so in my opinion, positive girl-girl relationships are so important and very downplayed in popular media and _especially_ in Naruto, so I want to work on portraying more strong female friendships. I feel as though in Naruto, the only significant female friendship/relationship is Sakura and Ino, and half the time that's competition over Sasuke or other things, which isn't cool. Female representation is very important guys! Female friendship is good!**

**Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and follows! Critiques are appreciated!**

* * *

"What are you doing up so early?" Sakura yawned, taking an empty chair at the table Tenten had taken over with her supplies.

"Just drawing up some paper bombs," she said idly. "It's nice having days off like this. Usually I draw some bombs, do target practice. I've watched clouds with Shikamaru before, but he got annoyed at me talking, so now I just kind of relax by myself. Usually, I'd do something with Naruto…" she trailed off, wondering where her blond, screwball cousin was. She hadn't received any letters or notification that he even existed anymore, and she sighed, finishing up the final bomb and quickly completing the multiplication jutsu. Her mood was already dampened.

Five times as many bombs appeared. Sakura nodded, noting that Tenten could've made many more, but by way of explanation, Tenten grunted at her. "My chakra control isn't what it should be, so this is the best I can do right now."

Sakura nodded hesitantly, offering: "If you help me with the jutsu... I could help you make them… I mean, my control is…" she blushed a little, not wanting to sound conceited.

The girl before her was very different from the one who'd punched Naruto in the Forest of Death. Tenten could understand why. Ninjas had to grow up quickly. "If it's good, then count me in," Tenten smiled. "How do you get better control? I told you guys, I wanted to be Tsunade-sama, but when Gai got a medic-nin to offer to help me, despite studying day and night, my control ended up killing the fish I was supposed to heal."

Smiling softly at the thought of Tenten hovering over a fish, Sakura explained. "Well, I don't have much chakra—"

"Good, me either."

"So… rather than waste any of the little chakra I have, with Naruto and Sasuke-kun on my team especially, since both of them have such deep reserves, I quickly figured out how to conserve and use it efficiently. Neither of them could do it – they never thought about doing it, since they have such surpluses."

Tenten snorted in agreement. Neji had probably thrice as much chakra as she, and because of his Byakugan, he was aware of it. An idea slowly came to her, niggling itself into fruition.

"We're gonna visit Hinata today. Part of training."

Sakura tried not to groan, but Tenten saw the wary expression on her face. It was true that Team Gai's work ethic had been developed beyond that of most teams – especially a team like Sakura's which hardly functioned as a team. "I thought you said we'd have a day off?" she ventured.

"This will be an exercise in kicking Neji's ass."

Sakura's eyes lit up too, and a sleeping Ino stirred slightly. "What are you thinking?"

"The Byakugan can see our tenketsu. Sparring close-range with Neji has the threat of him hitting a chakra-point and effectively shutting us down. Usually when he and I spar, I end up fighting at least mid-range, but that usually ends up in a standoff, until he ends up beating me." Tenten wasn't afraid to admit she wasn't at Neji's level. It galled her, but she wasn't going to lie to herself about her abilities and get herself killed. "So I figure, if we can get Hinata to draw where our tenketsu are, we can learn to defend ourselves against chakra drainage, from the Byakugan at least."

"All you ever talk about is _training_." Ino groaned, stretching out like a cat. "Don't you think I get enough of that with Asuma riding me?" Ino yawned. "With those two slackers on my team, _I'm_ the one who gets it. Can't we just do something fun? Ugh, sometime I'll steal Hinata away and we'll all go for a real night on the town!"

"Ino, you're _thirteen_."

Ignoring Tenten's point, she shook her head. "Maybe in a year then!" she declared, rolling over. "I'm helping out in the shop again today, so I can escape Asuma-sensei's nagging, but tomorrow, I've got no excuse!"

Testing the weight on her leg, Tenten figured if she were careful she'd be okay to walk. "We're leaving. You can stay if you want."

Both of them stared at her as she stood, grabbing her scrolls.

"Already?" they asked in unison.

"Team Gai began training at six. This is a luxury."

"Geez, even _Asuma_ isn't that much of a hard-ass. He likes sleeping in almost as much as Shikamaru."

Sakura quirked her brows. "If Kakashi makes it to training before eleven, we're surprised."

Kakashi, though, was probably up nearly as early as Gai had once been. He just had a place to be. Part of her wanted to ask about Gai-sensei, and the other half didn't want to know. She wasn't ready, she admitted to herself. She missed him more than she thought she ever could've.

"Hm. If I'm still asleep when you get back, don't wake me up!" Ino complained, rolling around. Delicately stepping up, trying to keep the movement as fluid and light as possible, Tenten opened the door, gesturing for Sakura to follow.

They were slow moving, but when they made it, a familiar face greeted them.

"Hyuuga Ko-san?" Tenten chirped, and a small, surprised smile spread across the friendly young man's face.

"Yes… and your name is… Tenten-chan, right?" he asked, just as cheerful as she in the morning. "Are you looking for Neji-san?"

"No, Hinata-chan, this time. I'm annoyed at Neji right now," she whispered conspiratorially. "I'm gonna get back at him soon, though."

His eyes were not like the gentle eyes of Hinata, and nor were they as sharp as Neji's. They were open and friendly and relatively normal, all for being enormous, silvery orbs, and Tenten decided immediately that she liked him. Waving goodbye as she and Sakura stepped away, they found Hinata sitting in front of a koi pond, looking deeply into it, watching the fish.

"Hinata!" Sakura called out.

Whipping around, she blushed. "Oh! Hello… Sakura-chan. Hello, Tenten-chan. What are you doing here?"

"We wanna ask you a favor. It'll be a huge help if you agree," Tenten wheedled.

"Certainly… just, what would you need me to do? I have to leave for my mission in two hours."

Oh. She'd forgotten it in her furor. "This won't take long," she said hastily. "What we need you do to is use your Byakugan and write out all our tenketsu with this marker," she said, producing it.

Hinata looked a little startled. "Why?"

"So we know where to dodge Neji."

Nodding, she looked at them, twiddling her slender, aristocratic fingers. "I'd forgotten… with Naruto-kun gone… you're a team now."

"Yup! And I want to see if we can rub his ass into the dust," Tenten grinned playfully, imagining Neji panting on the ground, with _her_ the victor, and studiedly ignoring the image of Naruto's empty room.

"Well… I suppose."

Quickly activating her kekkei genkai, Hinata took the brush and drew over their arms, as quick as lightening, passing the softness of the ink across their skin, over their necks and shoulders. Throwing decorum to the wind, even at the Hyuuga compound, Tenten unbuttoned her shirt, allowing Hinata to draw over her stomach, despite her light and ladylike blush. Sakura, blushing worse than Hinata, followed suit, and when she finished drawing their chakra network, Hinata gave them an anxious look.

"Surely… you don't mean to be shirtless around nii-san?" she gazed into Tenten's eyes seriously. "I'm afraid… I think he'd be... embarrassed."

Snorting, Tenten winked at her. "Good. I hope he is. It'll make my revenge better."

"Why… do you want revenge?" she asked, looking in her eyes.

"He lied to me yesterday!" Tenten declared, memorizing the lines and dots and swirls. "So I'm gonna crush him in training."

Sakura laughed. "I can't but go along with it. It'd be nice to defeat a prodigy. I'm not immune to it – I had Sasuke-kun on my team, after all."

Studying her stomach, Tenten grinned exuberantly. "This should give us a bit more leeway when he's aiming for us."

"Protect the larger ones foremost," Hinata warned.

"Is Neji here? Can you ask him to meet us at the training grounds?" Sakura had been swept up by Tenten's determination. She was much like Naruto in that respect – people responded to her. Though, not as much or in the huge numbers that Naruto managed. Tenten was charming, but Naruto was irresistible.

Hinata nodded shyly, a little smile slowly escaping as she surveyed their antics.

Hurrying as quickly as she could with her injury to Team Gai's training traditional grounds, Tenten panted, already worn out from the effort it took to walk on her leg. "I won't be as much help as I usually am," she warned Sakura. "And we're not afraid to hit one another, so don't think he won't come at you with full force. He knows not to go too far, though, just watch out. You'll probably be bruised up after this."

"It's good you're not getting overconfident," intoned a smooth, level voice as Neji appeared, able to travel much faster than they had. As he made it to the clearing he stopped and stared at them, their shirts wide open, the black ink drizzled all over their arms and torso. Tenten grinned at him as he stared, looking completely flabbergasted. "What on earth!—" his voice rose in his embarrassment. No blush lit his cheeks like Hinata's, but his eyebrows furrowed together and his words came more quickly and loudly than previously.

"We're going to spar!" Tenten announced mischievously.

He stared at them in shock. "_Absolutely not_!"

Sakura seemed a bit cowed – she supposed even Uchiha hadn't been as foul-tempered _and_ simultaneously authoritative as Neji could be. "Don't be a wuss! These are—"

"I know _precisely_ what they are!" he exclaimed, his ears beginning to pinken.

"Well, you see why they're useful. I'm going to memorize—"

"Memorize them in the privacy of your own home!"

"Please," she snorted. "Stop being so modest. Like our chests are any more impressive than the average fourteen year old boy's. Your chest is probably about as well-developed as mine, so stop crabbing around. Besides, we have to put this into practice."

Nodding at Sakura, the girl hesitantly began the hand signs for a jutsu, disappearing and reappearing behind Neji, aiming a punch. Sucking in a breath, Tenten figured it wouldn't work, as Neji's first two fingers easily sprung to aim at a chakra point – but as he swirled around on her, she disappeared again, reappearing in front of him, and repeating the process as quickly as possible, until finally, she was at his side, and managed to send a weak left hook into his jaw.

Tenten privately applauded the girl for her quickness. Neji's kekkei genkai left him more open to pure taijutsu attacks. Of course, Lee's more upfront technique had never allowed him to gain the upper hand. The way Sakura had handled it was no less than masterful. She wasn't particularly powerful, but she was clever.

"Say, Sakura!" she thought suddenly. "Come with me after training, okay?"

The girl nodded, stepping back from Neji hesitantly as he rubbed his jaw. Tenten held her breath, watching his expression, and eventually he nodded with a placating sigh.

"That was clever," Neji noted, and Tenten knew what Sakura didn't, that he was trying to praise her. The girl still seemed rather nervous around him.

"My turn!" Tenten singsonged, ripping out a scroll. More prepared for Tenten's attack, they went through their usual chess-like maneuvers, as she leapt about, using the teleportation jutsu this time instead of running about the way she usually did. Neji, for his part, was the same as he ever was, managing her slowly until he managed to get close enough to attempt an Eight Trigrams.

Tenten didn't have any kekkei genkai to assist her, but knowing where his fingers intended to go was a huge help – and the fact that he avoided her torso was an even larger one.

"Come on, Neji," she taunted, appearing behind him. "Don't hold back!"

Kunai met flesh, and she gently held the steel against his neck, waiting for his next move. It was sure to be good. Sparring with Neji was always interesting – they were both strategists.

They both waited a moment while Neji thought how to escape her. As he moved, she held the kunai closer, careful not to actually cut him. "Come on, Neji," she scolded gently. "If this were a real situation, enemy-nin wouldn't wait."

"Hn."

"Do I win this round?" she asked delightedly. It was the first time she attempted this particular move, and upon execution, it seemed to work very well.

"Not quite," he said, and before she could defend herself, slammed his back against her chest while simultaneously wrenching back her arm. He intended to spin her in a move that was similar to something Lee would've managed, but her weak leg had her stumbling back, falling backwards, nearly ripping her arm out of its socket.

"I guess that's an effective escape," she giggled, watching his chagrined expression. Sakura laughed in the background at Tenten's ungraceful thud into the earth.

"Hn."

"Sakura, try him again!" Tenten ordered.

And so the ordeal went. Besides the original spars with the girls, Neji succeeded in overpowering them both, using his Eight Trigrams successfully on Sakura and jyuukening Tenten… twice.

"I'm starving," Sakura confessed, as Neji panted. Silently, Tenten was gleeful in her earlier fantasy coming to fruition. Though her leg ached terribly, she felt successful.

"We should probably stop and get some lunch."

"Actually, Hiashi-sama asked to practice with me today," Neji informed them.

Tenten crossed her arms. "The same way Hinata asked you to train with her?" she asked suspiciously. "If you don't want to train with me as much any longer, Neji, all you have to do—"

"I do not wish to avoid your presence. Yesterday was a mistake and I apologize for my rudeness," he said seriously, ivory eyes catching hers, looking summery blue as they reflected the sunny sky. "This time I truly am practicing with Hiashi."

Tenten felt her annoyance melt away at his sincerity, and she nodded, grinning. "Go on! Do you want to have lunch with us?"

"As long as we don't get ramen," he said ironically, referencing Naruto. "However… please button your shirts. It's embarrassing enough to see the two of you parading around with paint all over your _arms_."

As they left, Sakura and Neji walked side-by-side, and Tenten was delighted with the show of comradeship, and hoped it boded well for the future.

x

"Tsunade-baa-chan!" Tenten called out, hoping Tsunade would be called to attention by the insolent nickname Naruto had given her.

The door burst open as the Godaime kicked it, stomping around for the source. Spying the pair of genin, she relaxed. "For a second, I thought Naruto and Jiraiya were back already." she shuddered. "What do you need girls? I need a distraction from paperwork, so you're welcome to suck up as much time as necessary." With a roguish wink, Tsunade sat back behind the chair. Tenten wondered how it had gone with Konohamaru for a moment, but then snapped back to earth.

"I think that Sakura-chan here should become your apprentice, Tsunade-sama."

Both of them stared at her, Sakura gaping, and Tsunade's more sly gaze narrowing.

Explaining further, she described to Sakura the White Strength Seal and Katsuyu-sama, as well as her attempts to be like the Sannin. Sakura's face went from incredulous to interested in seconds, and she was quickly nodding at Tenten's story, complete with hand gestures. Not as descriptive as Naruto, who tended to act out his stories, but still reminiscent of the blue-eyed shinobi.

"So, since your chakra control is great, I figure you can do what I can do, and better!" Tenten explained to her earnestly. "I saw how you looked at my leg, and you're smart. I'm not that strong, but I saw how you punched Neji today, and I think you have potential. You can be like Tsunade-sama, the way I couldn't. I wanted to be her, but you can be _like_ her, and be yourself too, in a way I never could in a million years!"

"And what makes you think I'd accept an apprentice who didn't even come to me of her own free will?" she asked sharply. Tsunade's hands folded together, a beautiful ninja staring at them intensely.

"She did too, though," she contradicted the Fifth, smiling. "She didn't drag her feet to come see you. This was a surprise. I just figured it fits. Your strength… she could do that, and the medic-jutsu, and the seal and Katsuyu-sama, and more! What do you think?"

Sakura nodded. "Lady Hokage, I think that… if you were to accept me, I'd be most grateful," she said instead, lamely. But taking up some of Tenten, and by proxy, _Naruto's_, fervor, she bowed to Tsunade. "I would like to be trained in your ways, Godaime-sama, if you'll only accept me as your humble apprentice!"

Looking over her appreciatively, Tsunade spoke seriously. "I'm told you have a fine mind, Haruno Sakura. However, are you prepared to work hard under my wing? I may seem like a slacker, but I'll work you the way Kakashi never had the inclination or time too."

A fierce glint grew in Sakura's eyes. "I will be strong! I'll do whatever it is you ask, Godaime-sama, and I'll be your faithful apprentice!"

Suddenly settling back, shoulders relaxed and eyes sparkling, Tsunade grinned. "All right. Report here tomorrow, Sakura. And call me Tsunade, while you're at it."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama!" Sakura bowed again, and the two girls left.

As they made their way out, Tenten began giggling, uncontrollably at first.

"What is it?" Sakura asked anxiously.

"Didn't you see?" Tenten shook with silent laughter, trying to contain herself before exploding into hearty laughter. "Her drawers… weren't filled with… paperwork… just… sake containers," she had to sit back, biting a fist into her mouth. "I think I just got you into a bigger mess than I thought."

"Why did you do that?" Sakura asked her, voice sharp with something undefinable.

Tenten sobered. "Naruto's spoken a lot about you, but it seems to me that you're not the girl he talked about. You're funny and kind, but you're not the loudmouthed girl he described. I thought I wouldn't like you – I do now, of course, but the way you sounded… like some loudmouth fangirl who wouldn't give him the time of day."

Sakura blushed. "Did he really…"

"No, the way he painted it, you were in love with him and Sasuke was jealous. I can read that kid like a summoning scroll. But when you looked at my leg and started talking about your control, and the way you fought Neji, I was kind of reminded of the way I was. I wanted to be a legendary kunoichi. Not just anyone, but I wanted to be _Tsunade_, just like her, a protégé the way Lee was with Gai." Her throat closed a little, but she continued on, forcing herself to speak cheerfully. "What you want is to be useful, right? Because before I knew what I was good at, I felt like a poor excuse for a shinobi. And I think you feel that way too. Especially after losing to Ino in the preliminaries."

Sakura shook her head and looked away, but Tenten barreled on.

"Look, I know you two are exact equals, and that fight was pretty cool. That was a meeting of the minds kind of fight. The way you kicked her out of your head? Awesome," she told her, and pink hair moved to reveal an ashamed face. "None of us knew what was happening until Ino freaked out. But... she's lucky she didn't get a chance to battle in the third exam– she would've been crushed. The reason she got as far as she did was because of you. She wouldn't have fought Shikamaru, and they know each other's techniques so well that he would just have to think his way out, like how he did with Temari. Those Sand kids are terrifying," she said, trying to hide her bitterness. "But I know you feel ashamed of what happened, because I felt it too. And when it came to me, I just _knew_. I thought it would be a nice surprise, which was why I dragged you here before telling you."

A soft smile broke across the younger girl's face. "You're a lot like Naruto."

The words meant so much to the brunette - although she knew it wasn't as true as she liked. Naruto was pure sunshine, like Lee. She had more shadows than he did.

"_He's_ a lot like _me_. But he's version two, new and improved." Tenten's teasing earned a crinkling of the eyes.

The two girls parted ways quietly, and Tenten made her way to Kakashi, her taichou standing there quietly, battered orange book peeking from his pack. She made it to his side and greeted Rin-san quietly before speaking.

"I figure you've already heard."

"You're learning to overestimate me. Don't idolize me too much."

"So you haven't?"

"No, I have, but the point remains. What on earth had you think of that one? It is extremely clever – Tsunade-sama can train her in a way I couldn't, and give her the attention she needs, but… the way you went about it is extremely… _Naruto_. Usually the sensei is consulted beforehand."

Tenten didn't feel like explaining her reasoning again and stood with him, their chests soon rising and falling in unison.

He did not ask her to leave, and she didn't leave. Soon, though, she took his hand. They were cold. She wondered if they were always cold, or if it was only when he was here. He did not rebuke her for her disrespect – training someone like Naruto made Tenten's personality seem much less impertinent.

His hands were large and calloused, and they felt nice against hers, her smaller fingers fitting in between his easily.

"Tenten… Don't."

His voice was smooth and easy, devoid of any scolding or warning. Just two words.

"Do what?" she asked innocently.

"Tenten, I'm nearly twice your age," he told her dryly. "Don't go and develop an infatuation now."

She rolled her eyes but did not remove her hand. "Please, Kakashi. Like I'd try to develop a crush on a slacker-pervert like you. If I wanted a boyfriend, he'd be my age, and he wouldn't read Icha-Icha like it's some sort of ancient Chinese guidebook."

He gave her a lazy once-over, and did not remove his hand. "Go for one of the genin. Or even Nara Shikamaru. He's a chuunin now, isn't that attractive?"

"Please. If you're going to point out the pros of dating one of the Rookie Nine, I can point out that any trait they have is enhanced by you. You're smarter than Shikamaru-san, have instincts as good as Inuzuka-kun, you're about as obtrusive as the Aburame but far less creepy, you're as nice as the Akimichi, even if you don't admit it, and let's please not even go there with Naruto's team."

"Why not Neji, then?"

She snorted.

"He has the bloodline limit, which I don't. He's a genius, he's in proximity, and he's your age."

"You started it. I wouldn't have known your name if you weren't so helpful. My seal is going great, by the way. Anyway, Neji's my best friend. I think he'd kill me before he'd kiss me, though."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that. It seems to me your one of his only friends."

"Leave him for Sakura or Ino," Tenten giggled. "Imagine Ino with her claws in Neji."

This was the strangest conversation she'd ever had. Because she did not have a 'crush' on Kakashi, and for all that he was teased, he was not a pervert.

She just cared about him, maybe more than she should've, and noticed his goodness and handsomeness and selfishness and fallings. He was not perfect like Neji, or a golden boy like Naruto, or overbearing like Gai-sensei. He was certainly not a familial figure.

He sighed. "Sakura's infatuation with Sasuke was my one maneuver to control her. She'll never develop another motive until the Sasuke matter is settled, one way or the other. Despite the resemblance they bear one another. Ino, is another matter, but I'm quite sure the Hyuuga boy would kill her, if he thought it worth the time. There are three people in this village that he can stand, and that's because he and Sakura are getting along fairly well now."

"Why are you trying to foist me away anyway?" she sniffed. "It's not like I'm going to try and initiate an _affair_ with you or something. First of all, I'm about as appealing as Naruto, and secondly, I'm about as prepared to date _you_ as I am _Neji_. Like I said, I'm not idiot enough to get a crush on my taichou. But leave Neji out of it."

"You're defensive," he noted, lifting the side of his hitai-ate and swiveling to meet her eyes, dark brown with steel flecks.

She blushed. She tried to fight it, she really did, but she couldn't. If she had been able to see better, she would've sworn there was a smirk growing beneath the mask. "Hey, I do like pretty boys," she cracked, "And Neji is about as pretty as they come." Then, an idea occurred to her. "Kakashi. Show me your face."

His shoulders drooped as he sighed. "You're lucky this entire village is used to Naruto's antics, otherwise you'd never get away with being so cheeky."

"Perks of familial bonds," she answered blithely. "Take off the mask. Why do you wear it, anyway?"

"I'll take it off for you another day. Maybe then I'll explain why." Their hands were still connected. "You know, this is a pretty compromising situation, especially after I carried you through the village after you refused that wheelchair."

"Like any shinobi here care what your relationship is to _me_, or what I _wear_," she shrugged. "It's not like we're having an affair. Blame it on my girlhood crush or whatever. You're just my captain, Kakashi-taichou. I'm not a child. Remember, all genin are granted status to adulthood."

Shinobi were considered of age as soon as Academy graduation took place. Sending children to their deaths did not sit well with the elders, and though there was virtually no difference between Tenten and a civilian girl her age, it allowed those writing the missions to sleep more soundly at night.

The two remained quiet, comfortably so, until Kakashi said: "What if I asked another jounin to tutor you? Not permanently, of course, but with Sakura and Neji getting all this attention, would you want one?"

"Of course I would! Is that even a question?" Tenten exclaimed, finally taking her hand away from his. For a moment, his fingers seemed to reach out for it, but immediately composing himself, he smiled impartially at her beneath his mask.

"I can get Genma to tutor you. He's exceptionally proficient in the space-time ninjutsu, which is like your summoning. He's not a slouch with bukijutsu either, though of course, not at your level of expertise."

She couldn't tell if he was patronizing her as revenge for their intimacy or if he was genuinely complimenting her, so she let the comment pass without issue.

"When can I start?" she demanded buoyantly, bouncing on her heels, sending her spine as straight as Neji's.

"Tomorrow, if he isn't busy."

Tenten immediately disappeared, leaving Kakashi alone once more. He slid his now-lonely hand back into his pocket, but not before touching the nearly-worn away name of Nohara Rin.


End file.
